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Milivoje talks about his continuing education at Profidata
The IT industry is developing rapidly, which is why continuous training is crucial.
Zurich, 25 May 2025 | In this interview, we talk to Milivoje Legenovic, Senior Software Engineer at Profidata, about his experiences with the digital learning platform Udemy Business. Milivoje talks about how he is continuously improving his software engineering skills – and why he decided to switch from a career as a bricklayer to the IT industry.
Milivoje, you are a power user of Udemy Business. Which courses are particularly interesting to you?
I mainly take courses on Java and reactive programming, which are topics that are important in my everyday work and in my team. These include reactive programming, Postgres, ElasticSearch and messaging in the enterprise environment, as well as enterprise patterns. We often use programming languages and complex technologies that I want to learn more about. In such cases, I enter the search term in Udemy Business and it shows me suitable courses. Since Profidata introduced the enterprise account, we have unlimited access to all courses and can use the content free of charge. That is a huge advantage, of course.
There are more than 27,000 courses on various topics such as technology, leadership, and mental and physical well-being. How do you choose?
Once I have entered a keyword, I filter for further details: What reviews has the course received? What have other users said about it? How many people have viewed the course? The length of the video also says a lot and shows whether the course only scratches the surface or goes into depth. If I find several suitable results, I create a "learning path" with courses that interest me and that I would like to view in the future. That's the practical thing about on-demand learning: you can organise your time freely.
Which courses have helped you the most so far?
My favourite course is on reactive programming. The author, Vinoth Selvaraj, starts with the basics and then moves on to more complex topics such as communication protocols, caching, persistence and integration into non-reactive worlds. It is a series of several videos that covers the entire topic of reactive programming. I've already watched the course, but I click back in every now and then when I want to refresh my memory. These are important basics that I use in my daily work.
Which features do you find particularly useful at Udemy Business?
I have years of experience in software development and don't need to look at everything because I'm already relatively familiar with it. That's why my favourite feature is speeding up videos to 1.25x or 1.5x speed. The video then plays on my second screen and I listen more closely when an interesting topic comes up. You can also jump within courses if you don't need certain chapters. There is also the option of obtaining certificates, but I'm not really interested in that – I'm only there for the content.
"There are no limits in this industry and things are constantly changing, which I find exciting."
IT is your passion, how did you end up in this career?
I come from a completely different background: I completed an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and actually wanted to study civil engineering, which would have been the logical next step. But then I decided to go into IT because it is extremely versatile and allows you to work in all industries. I could write software for construction companies, for example for CAD applications, or for machines, for the medical industry or for the financial world. There are no limits in this industry and things are constantly changing, which appeals to me. If you decide to do this, you have to stay up to date. You don't work with the same technology for 30 years, but actively participate in progress.
You are a power user of Udemy Business. What would you recommend to your colleagues?
You should just go and see what's available. Udemy Business is a good medium for anyone looking for high-quality content. Unlike platforms such as YouTube, the range on offer is better and easy to find thanks to the filters. There is also no obligation to participate: sometimes I spend three hours on the platform in a day, then a few weeks go by because I don't need anything. I can decide what and how much I learn. Very important: for me, continuing education always starts with myself. I have to decide for myself that I want to move forward.
In your opinion, what is important to promote further training at Profidata even more?
I won't become a great tennis player just by watching TV – I'll only become one by going out on the court and picking up a racket. In other words, I have to engage with it in my everyday life and apply my theoretical knowledge in practice. In larger teams in particular, we have to make sure that the daily work routine is not too tightly scheduled and that there is enough time for the crucial questions: How can we do something even better than before? What tools are necessary for this? What additional knowledge do we need and how can we apply it in practice? In some cases, groups come together and motivate each other to familiarise themselves more thoroughly with certain topics.
"I can contribute valuable input and help move the entire company forward, which is what drives me."
Continuing education takes time. Do you have any tips for effective time management?
Of course, daily work has to be done, but employees should not think: "I might not be able to do my job if I take the course, the risk is too great for me." You just have to take the risk and get started. It's perfectly fine to take a course during working hours if it's related to your job. You're going to look for answers to certain questions anyway, so why not do it in a relevant course? I would like to emphasise again that these courses usually cost money, but all courses are free for our team.
Self-directed continuing education is a big topic for you – why?
The technical conditions in our field are constantly changing. Continuing my education helps me in my daily work: I can contribute valuable input and help the entire company move forward, which motivates me. I don't just bring the new knowledge to the next meeting, I continue to build on it and keep it for the rest of my life.
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