Andrada Gae, Romania

"I was interested in math and logic puzzles since I was very young, so it was a natural thing for me to go into programming. In Romania, we started programming classes in the fifth grade, so it’s been in my life for a long time. Right now, I’m studying at Copenhagen Business School and working part-time at Pleo, even though when I first got to Denmark I worked here in a full-time position. I appreciate that I can study and work at the same time. My projects and hours at Pleo are very flexible, which allows me to schedule work around my school."

Everything is digitalised – it’s amazing

"I wanted to do something with computer science, together with combining it with a different field of study. At Google, I was around people who were very passionate about computer science. I thought that was incredibly inspirational but I’m not that geeky, so finding my current master’s program where I’m combining computer science with a business approach was just perfect. I researched other similar programs in Europe and most of the ones I was interested in, were in the Nordic countries. The fact that my best friend was already in Denmark was a bonus and an eliminatory reason for the other Nordic countries."

Explore: What career opportunities are you looking for?

"Being here now, seeing how well everyone is taken care of, it’s definitely quite different than back home. I love that sustainability is such an important part of Danish society. But I also think that this is only possible because the base of the society is so strong – that the strong welfare system allows other topics to take up the agenda."

"The process of relocating to Denmark was quite straight forward, the main reason being the documentation side of things going smoothly. Just the government structure in general, with everything being digitalised – it’s amazing. Getting your bank account, social security number, etc. all through the digital tool Nem-ID, was brilliant."

It doesn’t matter which position we have or where in the organisational hierarchy we are

"The environment here at Pleo is incredibly international, we have nationalities working here from all over the world. The community is very diverse and open and Pleo allows a very flexible way of working."

"A great part of this is for example even though I’m working here part-time and am still studying, my suggestions and points are always being taking into consideration. It doesn’t matter which position we have or where in the organisational hierarchy we are, there is always room for a chat. Whether it’s about gaining knowledge about a specific topic or the possibility of suggesting improvements – everyone is always listened to. We as a team learn so much from each other."

"Entrepreneurship, honesty, and transparency are values that are present on a daily basis, it’s how we work together, how we become better, and how we all lift the company."

We are enabled to use our creativity and critical thinking

"Coming to Denmark to study for my master’s degree it’s been interesting to see the different approaches to learning. We are enabled to use our creativity and critical thinking regarding learning here. This is a good complimentary to my Computer Science education from Romania, where I would say that the creativity and critical thinking approach is lacking. Having both ways of thinking and approaching issues is very beneficial I would say. Combining my technical knowledge with critical analyses, public speaking, and innovative thinking, equip me with skills that will help me develop going forward and broaden my palate of possibilities. I’m excited to see how I am going to be able to use these different approaches, in the future."

Explore: FinTech in Denmark.