Women @ Accso – Lea Fries

I'm Lea and I've been working as a Senior Software Engineer at Accso for exactly one year. My main job is in software development, mostly in customer projects where I work as a developer. I also like to take on all-rounder tasks - that is, I support our business analysts and product owners or just do whatever is on the agenda. What I enjoy most is breaking down complex issues into small, feasible units, implementing these units and helping teams to work as efficiently as possible (with each other).

I am also involved in the network for the advancement of women and in the green IT community - both topics that I find super exciting and that offer great added value for Accso and for me personally.

I don't originally come from an IT background, but from PR and film. Accordingly, I first studied media and communication sciences and English language and literature. I then came to computer science via detours and a dual degree in business informatics and found my passion in programming. Ultimately, that's why I completed my training as an IT specialist for application development.

After several years in a corporate group, I finally ended up at Accso. The clearly communicated purpose "Software for a better world" and the respectful treatment of people convinced me - and that's not just an empty promise!

Although I am trained as a full-stack developer, I have realized that I prefer to work in the backend instead of "pushing pixels" - mainly in the Java backend. I don't have a specific focus, but I find the communication between systems particularly exciting.

My first project was super interesting because I was thrown in at the deep end. I was given almost sole responsibility for a project - both in terms of development and project management. It was a small project, but with a programming language that was new to me: Python. In the end, everything worked out great and working with the client was a lot of fun. It felt a bit like my little baby and I realized that I can really do this. That was a great experience.

My current project is also super exciting because it's a very large project in terms of scope and I can be involved right from the start instead of in the middle, as is usually the case. This gives me lots of exciting insights into the start of the project and how best to overcome the initial stumbling blocks. Of course, I'm also looking forward to the results!

Accso was the first time I got to know a community just for women - and before that I didn't even know I was missing something like this. Now I'm incredibly happy to be part of this network, and I wish I'd had it sooner. As a female developer, you're mainly surrounded by men, so it's really nice to get input from other women - just another female perspective. In my opinion, teams benefit from many different points of view. That's why it's even more rewarding that I can help make teams more diverse within the community.

At Accso, we can get involved in various topics that are important to us. That's why I'm also active in the green IT community. After all, in percentage terms, IT is more responsible for global CO2 emissions than air travel. So I think it's all the cooler that Accso is addressing this issue and considering what we as a service company can do about it. It's great to be part of it and perhaps be able to drive a few issues forward.