IT families: Zhanqali Pernabayev and Yerkizhan Zhenisova

Zhangali Pernebayev, city — Shymkent, senior iOS developer, CEO of the programming school codeco.kz, @pernebayevz

Yerkezhan Zhenisova, city — Shymkent, iOS developer, @zheneessovay

About Us

Yerkezhan. Zhangali and I met in 2014, during our first year at the IT University, where we were classmates. In the early stages of our communication, we often had conflicts over various issues. Then, without even noticing, we went on our first date, and continued dating for another four and a half years. Now, we have been a family for five years, raising our daughter, expecting another child, and running a programming school.

How We Entered the IT Field

Yerkezhan. We both studied successfully at the IT University. Zhangali started working as an iOS developer in a startup during his third year. Later, I was also invited to work there, but in a PR and sales role. Then I enrolled in a master’s program in France, while Zhangali continued his career as an iOS developer and advanced to a senior position.

We got married and moved to his city — Shymkent. This is where my career as an iOS developer began, alongside motherhood. For a while, we worked remotely, then we founded a school and launched a development studio. We teach iOS development and custom mobile app creation, all in an online format.

Division of Responsibilities

Yerkezhan. We live in a large house with a big family, including Zhangali’s mother, sister, and brother. I am responsible only for cooking, and my husband takes out the trash. My sister and mother help with everything else. I take care of our daughter, while Zhangali handles the finances. We spend our free time in parks, arcades, or cafes. We often go out of town to the pool to relax and escape the hustle and bustle.

Family Traditions

Yerkezhan and Zhangali. Every weekend is our family day. We always spend time with our daughter and eat out. In the evenings, we watch a movie, and during the week, we compete to see who can pick a more interesting film, then we rate each other’s choices.

Our family values include continuous development, sports, healthy eating, quality time with family, and proper rest. My husband and I have been doing fitness for over seven years. We enrolled our daughter in swimming and dance classes.

Balancing Home Life and Work

Yerkezhan. Balancing IT work with household chores and family life is not difficult. At this stage, we are both iOS developers and do not work for employers. We are our own bosses and can organize our day as we wish. Sometimes, as a mother, I have urgent matters related to my child’s health. I easily push aside all work tasks or delegate them to my husband, my partner. He doesn’t need an explanation for why I need to step away, and I can calmly go, for example, to the hospital.

Recommendations for a Happy Family Life

Yerkezhan. The most important thing for a happy family life is you, your husband, and your relationship. We regularly spend time together and often arrange dates in a romantic setting. Additionally, I work with a psychologist, and if difficulties arise, I first discuss the situation with a professional. This helps us understand and listen to each other, avoid being driven by emotions, and clearly communicate our desires.

How IT Families Differ from Others

Zhangali. I think that families where both partners work in IT have certain characteristics. First of all, we understand the specifics and difficulties of each other’s work, including schedules, deadlines, and the need for constant learning. This helps us better support each other professionally and share experiences.

An important advantage is flexibility in work. We can organize our day to suit both work and family tasks. This is especially important when it comes to balancing career and child-rearing. For example, if there is an urgent need to spend time with family, we can easily reschedule work tasks because we manage our own time.

Our family is distinguished by the fact that we not only work but also grow together, both as professionals and as individuals. It is important to us not only to achieve career success but also to maintain a healthy lifestyle, develop our relationship, and pay attention to our children. We see this as a balance between work and personal life, which allows us to be happy and successful in both areas.