How Juraj Štefanić built it-croatia.com to guide the IT industry

Juraj Štefanić, an RIT Croatia alumnus, software engineer, and technical writer, created it-croatia.com, a platform designed to serve as a navigation tool for the IT community in Croatia. With a Bachelor of Science in Web and Mobile Computing and now working at ReversingLabs, Juraj’s journey began as an RIT Croatia student, where he noticed a lack of comprehensive information on IT companies, conferences, and career opportunities.

it-croatia.com is actively helping people

At its core, it-croatia.com serves as a centralized resource for the IT community in Croatia. “The idea is to provide a clear, structured, and continuously updated resource for IT professionals, students, and enthusiasts looking for companies to work for, events to attend, internships to apply for, or communities to join”, Juraj explained. The platform helps people explore the industry more efficiently and has been especially useful for students and job seekers.

The development process began with data collection – finding, filtering, and structuring publicly available information. “The first challenge was ensuring data accuracy and keeping the platform up to date, and another was optimizing the experience for different devices, as user behavior varies significantly between desktop and mobile”, Juraj shared. Analytics, heatmap data, and user feedback played a crucial role in defining how people interact with the platform, leading to improvements in search functionality and filtering options. Juraj focused on sharing the platform on Reddit, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Bluesky to reach the right audience. Engaging with different communities helped gather feedback and attract the first wave of users, solidifying Juraj’s goal of creating a valuable resource for the IT community.

“One of the most rewarding moments was receiving messages from students and job seekers saying that it-croatia.com helped them find their first job or internship”, he said. Another highlight for Juraj was when RIT Croatia’s Career Services shared the platform as a recommended resource for students. “It was a moment that reinforced the impact of the project and showed that it was more than just a side project – it was actively helping people”.

The importance of real-world experiences

Juraj’s experience at RIT Croatia played a key role in shaping the development of it-croatia.com. “The coursework was heavily focused on practical application, which aligned well with my approach to the project – building something tangible rather than just working with theoretical concepts”, he explained. Courses in software engineering, web development, data modeling, and user experience design were directly applicable, but the emphasis on problem-solving and independent learning pushed Juraj to think outside the scope of assignments to develop something real.

“One of the most impactful experiences during my studies was the Senior Development Project, where I had the opportunity to work on a full-stack web application for INA d.o.o.’s IT department, Plavi Tim”. This was Juraj’s first real-world project, where he applied software design principles in a professional setting, worked with a team, and delivered a functional product. “It was an experience that reinforced best practices in software development and project management, both of which proved invaluable when I started working on it-croatia.com”.

Integrating learning into real projects

Juraj’s co-op experiences helped bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. Co-op exposed Juraj to working with teams, handling project deadlines, and developing software at scale. “One of the biggest takeaways from my co-op experiences was understanding the importance of clear communication”, he explained. Juraj says that writing “maintainable code is about making it understandable for others like technical writing is about making complex information accessible. These skills were vital when structuring it-croatia.com to ensure it was user-friendly and effective.

For students trying to balance education and hands-on projects, Juraj’s advice is to use class assignments as an opportunity to build something practical, contribute to open-source projects, or work on something that solves a personal challenge. Hands-on experience provides practical skills, showcases initiative, and offers something substantial to demonstrate beyond a diploma. “My approach has always been to integrate learning into real projects rather than see them as separate things”. Having a real-world project to show makes a significant difference when entering the job market.

Whether you’re a student, a job seeker, or an industry professional, it-croatia.com offers a gateway to opportunities. Discover it for yourself here!