Coding dojos
Several times a year, software enthusiasts at ERNI Switzerland take on the challenge of a coding dojo. Solving a coding problem in a limited time frame is a great way to test your skills and expand your technical horizons.
A training tool for software engineers
Dojo is Japanese for “practice hall”. And this is exactly the purpose of the coding dojos, which are organized several times a year at ERNI Switzerland. The challenge and interaction with peers gives employees the opportunity to hone their software engineering skills.
The software engineers are given a coding problem to solve in one hour. This task is usually completed by a team of two and then presented to all participants. It does not matter if the solution was implemented in C++, C#, Java, Python, or another programming language.
"ERNI gives us the time and space to get together with colleagues in inspiring sessions like the coding dojos."
Kevin, Practice Area Lead Application Software
The challenge is followed by a discussion focused on learning from the other teams. Participants are often surprised at how different their solutions look. After all, developers who write their solution in Java or C# usually have a different approach than developers who use C++ as their programming language. In addition, there are often different technical approaches. For example, recursion vs. iteration or the use of different data structures. This gives employees a fresh perspective on the task at hand, which can help them broaden their technical horizons.
Sometimes such a coding dojo session is organized together with employees of the ERNI Group from the Philippines. The diverse team creates an exciting dynamic that fostered cross-cultural exchange.