Ipek Dedeköy
System Engineer at RabobankInnovating in the banking industry with IBM Z
Innovating in the banking industry with IBM Z
“The mainframe is not static. There are always new tools and best practices to learn... From my point of view, mainframes will continue to change the world in a good way. Lots of global companies use and trust mainframes because they provide very secure environments that are best in industry for storing and safeguarding their sensitive data.”
After graduating from Galatasaray University in Turkey with her computer engineering degree, Ipek quickly found herself working with mainframes at her first employer. She was surrounded by experienced colleagues who provided her with the training, hands-on experience and mentoring she needed to build her skills and expertise in mainframe computing. Ipek soon discovered that the mainframe skills she gained are highly valued in the global job market and opened the door to her accelerated career advancement, next job, and the opportunity to live in new places.
For those interested in exploring a mainframe career journey like Ipek’s, she believes that hands-on experience is critical. Beyond that, mentors and mainframe communities can provide the additional support needed. “My colleagues inspire me all the time,” Ipek says, “because I can see that they develop their skills every year and learn new things in every project.”
That passion for learning is what continues to drive Ipek’s interest in mainframes six years into her career. “The mainframe is not static,” she says. “There are always new tools and best practices to learn.” It’s also important to Ipek that her work makes
Read moreThat passion for learning is what continues to drive Ipek’s interest in mainframes six years into her career. “The mainframe is not static,” she says. “There are always new tools and best practices to learn.” It’s also important to Ipek that her work makes a difference. “The mainframe is the backbone of many critical operations and industries,” she says. “I can see the work I do on the mainframe has a direct impact on the smooth functioning of business critical processes.”
What excites Ipek about IBM ZWhat excites Ipek the most about mainframes is the newness of it all. “Every day, I’m learning new things,” she notes, “seeing different applications, new technologies.” Her role at Rabobank includes bringing new technologies such as automation to the IBM Z environment, a skill she sees as being very valuable today and in the future. “The mainframe field is evolving,” she says. “Hybrid cloud integrations, advanced analytics, new coding languages, and more DevOps technologies are being adopted, and that allows us to innovate in our environments using the latest tools.”
Ipek also enjoys the fact that working on the IBM Z platform is something that has a visible impact on Rabobank’s operations. The automation project she’s currently leading, which is automating certificate renewals on the mainframe, will save the company time and money. “In the past, we did this manually,” Ipek explains, “so it took almost a day to make a certificate renewable. With the automation, a certificate will be renewed with only one click.”
Building a career on IBM ZIBM Z supports mission-critical applications that need to run smoothly and securely 24/7. For Ipek, IBM Z’s industry-leading reliability, performance, and security make it a powerful and hyper-secure platform to create, innovate, and build for today and the future. She is particularly impressed with the IBM Z platform’s advanced error handling and high transactional capabilities. “It delivers a very secure environment for accessible data,” she says.
Ipek sees her mainframe skills as a catalyst to accelerate her career advancement. “Working with mainframes allows me to develop unique skills that are in demand” she says. “People and companies require these skills. With differentiated expertise, you can find lots of job opportunities and job offers. You will be a valuable person in your field.”
“From my point of view,” Ipek continues, “mainframes will continue to change the world in a good way. Lots of global companies use and trust mainframes because they provide very secure environments that are best in industry for storing and safeguarding their sensitive data.”
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