Antonin Vychodil’s journey into IT has been anything but traditional. Originally from the United States, he moved to the Czech Republic for university and unexpectedly found his way into software development.
„I was born in the Philippines and raised in the U.S., but my father is Czech and my mother Filipino. I came here for university because I wanted to try something new—I had never lived abroad before. At first, it was exciting to finally meet my Czech family, but I wasn’t sure if I would stay permanently. Now, after three years, I feel much more at home.“
From Robotics to Software Engineering
Antonin’s academic background is in robotics, but his career took a different turn.
„I actually study robotics at the Faculty of Informatics, but I got into software development thanks to my friends. One of them, Hamma, convinced me to start learning Java on my own. I took a lot of online courses, and eventually, I got an internship at Monet+.“
At first, it was just about learning and improving, but over time, Antonín took on more responsibility.
„I started with maintenance tasks—fixing bugs, making small changes—but now I work on much bigger projects. One of my recent projects is called API Channels, which helps process financial transactions by integrating external data. Another project I’m working on is a currency conversion system. It feels great to see my work making an impact.“
The Team Culture at Monet+
For Antonin, the technical challenges are only part of what makes Monet+ a great place to work.
„One thing I really love about our team is the atmosphere. We always eat lunch together, joke around, and even do small team-building activities, like playing card games at the pub. It really feels like a community.“
Even though he is the only foreigner on his team, he has never felt out of place.
„At first, it was funny—on my first day, my team leader introduced me like: ‘This is Antonin Vychodil. He’s American. He doesn’t speak Czech.’ But honestly, everyone here speaks great English, and I’ve never felt excluded.“
Adapting to Life in the Czech Republic
Moving from the U.S. to the Czech Republic came with some surprises.
„There was definitely some culture shock! The biggest difference? People don’t smile as much here. In the U.S., it’s normal to greet people with ‘Hi, how are you?’—but in the Czech Republic, people just look at you like, ‘Why are you talking to me?’ It took some time to get used to.“
Driving habits were another adjustment.
But despite the differences, Antonín has grown to appreciate life in Zlín.
„At first, I thought Zlín was a bit boring and small, especially coming straight from the U.S. But now, I really like how chill it is. Plus, having my family here helps a lot—my parents actually moved here eight months ago.“
Advice for Future Candidates
For those thinking about joining Monet+, Antonin has some simple advice:
„Just go for it! Study programming—especially Java if you want to join my team—but also be open-minded and friendly. Don’t be shy. Monet+ has a great atmosphere, and you’ll definitely feel welcome.“
