One week ago, Nordnet arranged its first Power Women in Tech event where 150+ women were gathered from the industry. One of the speakers on stage was Inger Klintmalm. Inger has been a developer since the 80s and spent most of her career in the Fintech industry. Today Inger works as a Software Developer at Nordnet. This is Inger’s career story, from the dotcom era to today’s disruptive innovation technology in Fintech.
Inger, you have made an amazing journey within Fintech and as a female developer. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey?
I was one of the first to attend a Java course when I studied computer and system science in Stockholm. Since then I got completely stuck with programming. After my studies, I said no to high-paid job offerings and chose to work for a small start-up that built web services. I learned a lot during that time. During the Swedish dotcom era, I have developed various IT services like online travel platforms, the first AI implementations for the insurance industry and programs for nuclear power. I have written programs for stock trading for more than 10 years.
What is it like being a developer in Fintech?
Fintech is an exciting industry because you get the opportunity to work with a challenging domain. It requires that you really understand how a computer works, to be able to write the most optimal code. I’m constantly developing in my role as developer.
What do you love with programming?
Programming gives you instant satisfaction, you get an immediate response if the code is correct or incorrect. I like to be a detective and figure out what’s wrong with the code. It’s very creative and rewarding to build a new system from scratch. One other thing I like with programming is that there is no clear answers of what’s right or wrong. It’s also a team sport since you solve many of the problems together in your team, rather on your own. Somebody told me that developers must be especially positive people because we always see solutions – maybe there’s some truth to that statement.
What’s like being a women in a male dominated industry as Fintech?
I never think that I am a women in a male dominated profession. In the beginning of my career, I was several times the first female developer in the company and one of the few women at IT conferences. I always got a warm welcome from my male colleagues and I never came across any kind of locker-room culture. Nowadays there are more women working in tech, maybe not always as developers but in other roles. For me it’s never been a problem.
What advice would you give to young women today who want to make a career as a developer?
My primary advice is to think about who you are and what you really want to do, not what is trendy right now. I said no to high-paid jobs in the beginning of my career and chose to work for a start-up, which for me was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Be open-minded and don’t be afraid to try something new. But always make sure to have a plan B.
Why did you choose to work at Nordnet?
Nordnet had a new technique that I was not familiar with, which made me very interested and curious. When I met my new colleagues in my team, I immediately felt a positive and optimistic vibe that I liked. Group dynamics is very important for me, especially since developers collaborates a lot in our daily job. Also, today’s IT systems are very complex and it’s not possible for one person alone to have all the knowledge. The knowledge exits in the whole team working together.