Hi, I am Calin Manoli. Currently, I am only 22 years old, but I would describe myself as a young yet ambitious guy born in Bucharest, Romania. I moved to the Netherlands when I was 18 as I decided I would like to pursue my degree in Computer Science & Engineering at TU Delft, which was the highest-ranked university that was available to me. I think moving to the Netherlands was one of the best decisions I ever made and I never really looked back on it. However, I do have to admit that I miss my dog, which was an adorable little pug :).
I lived in multiple cities since I arrived, including Delft and Amsterdam, but I found that the city I like the most is Rotterdam, which is where I currently live.
Currently, my work experience is very limited since I decided it would be best to first focus on my studies and try to learn as much as possible during this time. Therefore, I have only done an internship during which I helped build a platform that automates the valuation process of businesses and their assets. Now that I have completed my studies, I am fully prepared and eager to build the best possible career with the knowledge I gained.
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym or gathering with my friends and playing a couple of basketball or football matches with them. I also like to relax while watching an entertaining movie/series or reading a good book. Although I would not describe myself as the best cook, I sometimes enjoy experimenting with different recipes from around the world.
What is your best quality?
I would say my best qualities are reliability and curiosity. You can always count on me to do my job and I could never get bored of learning new stuff.
What is your biggest study or work life blunder?
As Kobe Bryant once said: “failure only happens when you refuse to keep on going and finally decide not to learn anymore”. For example, I did fail some courses during my studies but I learned from my mistakes, like how to understand the lectures on a deeper level, organize better and start studying for the exams earlier, so I don’t think I should count these as failures :).
What is your favourite tv-series or game?
My favourite TV series are probably Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. When it comes to video games, I enjoy games that I can play with my friends, especially FIFA, NBA 2k, Call of Duty, and sometimes even chess.
Why did you choose this job at Ndus3?
One of the best things about Ndus3 is the people that work here. I felt welcome from the beginning and all the people I met are extremely friendly and supportive. Another reason for me to join the team is that Ndus3 activates in a lot of different industries, so there are a lot of opportunities for me to learn more and build the best possible career I could build, within the most fitting industry.
What do you want to achieve in your work the coming year?
I want to gain hands-on experience with different software development processes, such as gathering requirements, designing, implementing, and testing production-ready software, as well as learning more about the deployment processes of the software created. I am also interested in meeting new people and getting to learn more from their professional experience in this field.
What working-field would you like to explore or even end-up in?
I personally don’t think it matters which field I work in. The only important thing for me is to work on software that benefits other people, in one way or another. For example, it could be within the Life Sciences sector, where I can help create software for medical devices that are used to improve the accuracy and speed of medical tests for patients, or it could even be within the Banking sector, where I could help build tools such as A.I. powered financial advisors, that help customers spend their money in a more responsible and sustainable way.
For what can we wake you up in the middle of the night?
To watch NBA games, especially since they are always so late during the night… You can also feel free to wake me up anytime you have good news to share!
What are your guilty pleasures?
- Binge-watching a whole season of some TV series in one sitting.
- Going on a long drive without any destination, while listening to my favorite music. I know it’s not very eco-friendly but sometimes it really helps me clear my mind 🙂
