European champion Hungarian web developer says his profession is where art and engineering meet

"We discovered together what this profession is all about"

They've always had a computer at home, and even as a child, he saw his parents working on it. He was interested in what it could be used for. At first, like most kids, he just played games and watched videos on it. He was about ten when he became interested in programming. He saw it as an opportunity to build and create something new.
"At the time, my sister was taking a massage course, and I created a website for her massage parlour. Then she didn't become a masseur and the site didn't get live. Maybe it's better that way," he begins, laughing.
He learnt how to program from YouTube videos, completely self-taught. He tried and tried until he succeeded. He not only created a website but also simple computer games. He went to György Boronkay Technical High School in Vác where he started programming seriously. He says that he made many friends there, many of whom he still works with professionally.

"Together, we discovered what this profession is all about. And our teachers encouraged us from the beginning to participate in different competitions," he says.

So even as young as a teenager he already earned some routine at competitions.

When engineering and art meet

While the average teenager is only busy doing school tests, János has been running his own business since high school, which he started with his brother-in-law in 2016. "He was working as a hotel manager and he was in dire need of all kinds of reports on how the hotel was performing. He had an Excel spreadsheet with lots of numbers." But the huge data set was becoming unmanageable. "As a solution, I created a web application (Peaqplus - ed.) that is still used by hotels today," he continues.

After graduation, he worked as a freelance software developer, which is how he first heard about EuroSkills, and then met Zoltán Sisák, who became his coach. After several rounds of selection, it was decided last May that he would represent Hungary among the web developers. For one and a half years, the preparation took place in the office of the HTTP Foundation (Dissemination of Network Knowledge Foundation). As he says, he was preparing practically "from dawn to dusk" for the last one or two months before the European Championship in September 2023.

As he says, web development is a very broad field: from the simplest website creation, such as a company presentation, to web applications. The latter is closer to his heart. "You have to design a complete, working system, like an engineer." 

"On the other hand, I could compare it a bit to a painter or a graphic artist creating something beautiful. Web development is where the two meet," he concludes. 

Messenger "exploded" after the victory

At the EuroSkills Competition in Gdansk, work went on for three days, seven hours a day. They had to work on the website of an imaginary company dealing with artificial intelligence. The first task was to build a simple introductory website and then a complex system.  
"My consultant and I felt that the task was a good fit, I always managed to do what I had planned. However, there was a Kazakh competitor who also did very well. We were hoping for a podium finish, but the gold medal was still uncertain. I wasn't nervous during the race, but I was very anxious when the results were announced. I had a stomach ache, a headache, and a lot of other symptoms. When they didn't announce my name as second, I was relieved," he recalls.

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Photo: MKIK

János Hidvégi not only won a gold medal in his own profession but also came third in the Best in Europe award, the third most points (783) of all this year's competitors.  Never before in the history of EuroSkills has a Hungarian web developer achieved such a high score (this year's Best in Europe was awarded to Hungarian IT system operators).

In János's family, IT is too much of a stretch for everyone; years ago, his parents didn't even understand what he wanted to do with websites. But now they see that his career is going in the right direction. His parents and girlfriend were there in Gdansk to cheer him on. "They even teared up they were so overjoyed. My friends were watching the livestream at home. After the results were announced, I went back to my chair where I had left my phone and my Messenger almost exploded, with about forty unread messages," he says. 

"This is a great event, an experience of a lifetime. You can meet so many talented people and build international contacts." 

"If someone can show that they are a European champion in their field, that can be a strong advantage when looking for a job," he says.

Is artificial intelligence the future?

When I ask him what he thinks makes someone a good web developer, he lists curiosity, a desire to create, creativity, and precision. "I've always wanted to create something that works on its own. It's such a fast-changing profession that you have to be constantly open to new ideas. You have to keep moving forward. You have to find creative solutions to interesting problems."

János currently works as a software developer for a bank and a Hungarian startup enterprise. He will turn 22 in December but already has plans to start his own startup in the not-too-distant future. He is most interested in artificial intelligence (AI): how to make AI software or tools that help developers work more efficiently.

"Artificial intelligence has its dangers, but I'm not afraid of machines taking over. People have believed that many times throughout history. For example, when the steam engine was invented. There will be a different kind of jobs, that's for sure, and we have to adapt and take advantage of the new situation," he says.

The European champion always takes on jobs that challenge him and that he can learn from. And opportunities abound, with companies already looking for him to work with. And why would he recommend his own profession to the younger generation? "You don't need a huge workshop with lots of machines, you can do anything with a laptop if you're persistent enough and interested enough. Not many professions can offer that," he adds.

Our interviews with other Hungarian medallists from the 2023 European Skills Championships are available here and here.