At ITcare, we believe that great technology is built by passionate people who are constantly learning, growing, and sharing their knowledge with others. In this edition of Meet the Team, we sit down with Cristian Crudu, a Software Engineer working on HORA, our network management platform.
Over the past year, Cristian has played an important role in developing integrations that help connect HORA with a wide range of systems and tools. Beyond his work at ITcare, he is also a lecturer at the Moldova State University, combining his passion for software engineering with a dedication to educating the next generation of IT professionals.
From solving complex technical challenges and exploring new technologies like Rust to balancing software development, teaching, and personal interests, Cristian shares his journey, insights, and the lessons that continue to shape his career.
Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, and what do you do at ITcare?
I’m Cristian Crudu, a Software Engineer here at ITcare, where I help develop HORA, our network management platform. I’ve been with the team for about a year now, working mostly on integrations that connect HORA with other systems and tools. In that time I’ve had the pleasure of working on a wide range of features and challenges that keep the job interesting.
How did you come to choose software engineering?
I stumbled into it mostly by accident. I didn’t have any concrete plans, but I’d always been interested in tech, computers, games, and how they actually work under the hood. After finishing high school, nothing else really caught my interest, so I went to study computer science, and that’s where I started to genuinely love it. Looking back, I think it was inevitable that I’d settle into this field eventually.
What do you enjoy most about your role as a Software Engineer?
What I enjoy most is tackling new problems that, at first, I have no idea how to solve. I love the step by step process of figuring out a solution. Some approaches are better than others, but you always learn and grow from the experience. The best part is seeing that solution go from a web of scattered ideas to something that improves HORA.
Besides your work at ITcare, you are also a teacher at a university in Chișinău. How do you manage to combine all these roles?
I teach at the Moldova State University, which is a real passion of mine. To juggle these roles, I rely on strict scheduling and planning. Everything I do lives in my Google Calendar so I can stay on top of it. That said, the biggest help is definitely the support and understanding of both the ITcare team and the university faculty.
How does your teaching experience help you in your day to day work as a Software Engineer?
It definitely keeps me motivated. Being around students who are discovering all the amazing things in this field for the first time helps me remember just how exciting the work we do really is. It also sharpens how I think, when you have to explain a concept clearly enough for someone to learn it, you end up understanding it far better yourself. That habit of breaking things down carries over into how I write code and work with my team.
What is the most interesting part of your work at ITcare?
The most fascinating part is definitely the fusion between programming and networking. Before this job, I had limited knowledge of networking concepts, and it was a real revelation to discover how rich, interesting, and essential this field actually is. Working on integrations especially opened my eyes, getting very different systems and devices to communicate reliably is a surprisingly deep challenge, and there’s always something new to figure out.
What technologies, projects, or technical directions are you most passionate about right now?
This year, I started learning and using Rust. It’s an incredibly powerful language, and although I had a bit of a bumpy road at first because it’s quite different from what I was used to, I’ve grown to really appreciate its design, especially how the compiler pushes you toward safe, correct code without sacrificing performance (the build times on the other hand, have taught me real patience).
What is one of the most important lessons you have learned while working in IT?
One of the most important lessons is that every problem has a solution. It might not be obvious at first, but there’s always a way through. And if you can’t figure it out on your own, you can always find it by collaborating with others.
How would you describe the ITcare team in a few words?
One thing you understand fast here is that ITcare has a very well-defined culture. It attracts a certain kind of person, and the result is a team of responsible, hard-working, collaborative, and genuinely great people all around.
How would you describe the management at ITcare and your relationship with your direct manager? Feel free to be open, we promise we will not tell him everything.
I would have loved to throw a few friendly jabs at him, but honestly, Nicolai is the best boss I’ve ever had. He’s the one who recruited me for the project, and I’m very thankful for that. He’s always eager to show you the latest thing he’s discovered or his latest crazy-genius idea. I’ve learned a lot from him.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to start a career in software engineering?
Stay curious, and don’t be afraid to try new things. The field moves fast and lately even more so, and the people who do well are the ones who are genuinely interested in what they do. Most of all, master the fundamentals. Tools, languages, and frameworks come and go, but understanding how things really work underneath is what matters.
What do you do outside of work and studies? Do you have any hobbies or activities that help you relax?
Some of the things that help me recharge, or at least let my brain drift, are reading (currently reading “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie and “One Piece” by Eiichiro Oda) and gaming (maybe one day I’ll climb out of Platinum in Marvel Rivals). On weekends I also like to play soccer with friends, even though I’m far from the best.
Cristian’s story is a great example of what makes ITcare special: curiosity, continuous learning, collaboration, and a genuine passion for technology. Whether he is building new features for HORA, helping students discover the world of software engineering, or exploring emerging technologies, he approaches every challenge with enthusiasm and a commitment to growth.
His belief that every problem has a solution, especially when people work together, reflects the culture we strive to build every day at ITcare. We are proud to have Cristian on our team and look forward to seeing where his journey takes him next.
Thank you, Cristian, for sharing your story with us.
