Alessandro Pogliaghi, Software Engineer, Klarna

To help current students and recent graduates navigate the world of work, several USI Alumni shared their career paths and career story. Here the story of Alessandro Pogliaghi, Software Engineer in Klarna in Berlin (D). USI Degree: Master in Financial Technology and Computing, 2021

How did you start your career?

As I was engrossed in working on my thesis project, I received a message from multiple companies but Klarna stand out to me and expressed interest in my skills and experience for a Software Engineer position. With my passion for software engineering and my eagerness to explore new opportunities, I decided to go through the application process.

I thoroughly prepared for each of the technical rounds, utilizing my knowledge and expertise in software engineering to tackle the challenges presented to me. After successfully passing all the technical assessments, I was happy to learn that Klarna had decided to move forward with an offer proposal.

Why did you choose a career in Klarna?

When I received the offer from Klarna, it was a thrilling experience. At that time, Klarna was the largest FinTech company in Europe and one of the fastest-growing companies worldwide. I was impressed by their engineering-driven culture and, during the various technical rounds, I had the opportunity to interact with very intelligent people who were already working there.

As I looked at the talented individuals who formed the team, I realized that this was a tremendous opportunity for personal and career growth. Being part of such a dynamic and innovative company was a chance to learn from the best and contribute to groundbreaking projects. The combination of a culture that valued engineering and a team of highly skilled professionals made me confident that this was the right choice for me.

What is your current role/duties?

I started in October 2021 as an entry Software Engineer and after 4 months I was promoted and offered a relocation to Berlin. In Berlin I got promoted again at the end of 2022 and I have been coleading a new team that specialised in fraud detection distributed systems in real-time and with scalability as a first-class citizen.

I recently started participating in the company hiring pipelines, I have been interviewing Software Engineers candidates in technical challenges and also System Designs scenarios.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career in Klarna?

Passion for Software Engineering and willingness to go the extra mile are extremely well seen here.

If the team trust your work, you're immediately given more freedom and with that comes also more and more interesting challenges to approach.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

Having completed my BSc. in Milan, I couldn't help but feel that the Italian academic system was somewhat lacking in terms of practical application. It wasn't until I began my studies at USI that I truly had the opportunity to put my knowledge into practice on a daily basis. This experience has stayed with me and remains the most valuable aspect of my education.

At USI, I was able to delve deeper into my field of study and apply what I learned in a practical context. This hands-on approach allowed me to fully understand the theories and concepts I was studying, as well as giving me the opportunity to work collaboratively with other students and faculty members. It was this combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application that has prepared me for success in my career and continues to influence my approach to problem-solving and innovation.

What competences and/or skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

The most specific SWE and Testing courses I enrolled have surely given me a nice boost, generally speaking I believe that some of the work done in groups also helped giving me a kickstart in the way a small team can work and address the issues at hand.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

Work hard and things will happen :)