National WebMistress Day

Every year, on August 26, the tech world comes together to celebrate National WebMistress Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and honouring the invisible heroes who contribute to the development, maintenance, and evolution of websites and online platforms. In celebration of this special day, we sat down with our very own in-house developer, Rebecca also known as The API Lord, to gain insights into her journey, experiences, and thoughts on the industry.

Q&A with Rebecca :)                   

What inspired you to become a web developer?

I always enjoyed ICT/Computing at school, so I always knew I wanted to go into something computing-related as a career. I took a particular interest in web design/development and then chose to study this at University. My interest grew at University as I learnt all the different programming languages and so I knew that was the career path I wanted to go down.

 How do you stay updated with the latest web development trends and technologies?

The work that I do enables me to keep up with the technologies so I naturally keep up with them that way. Plus, I regularly have learning time where I can spend time learning about newer technologies.

 What's the most important lesson you've learned during your journey as a web developer?

Problem-solving is a key skill in any type of development/programming. You’re rarely going to get things right straight away. The main thing is that you persevere and try different solutions and you will eventually find the solution.

 What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in web development?

I would say take time to practise the skills and work on your craft in your free time. Also build up a portfolio of web projects you’ve done, whether that would be for clients or just your own work. That will take you a long way.

 What’s the most challenging part of your job?

It is very challenging working on some of the more complex features occasionally. However, that is no bad thing, I find it enjoyable being able to break down these features and build them.

In your opinion, what is the most exciting emerging technology in web development? 

Cloud-based storage, especially using S3. The topic of AI seems quite an interesting one and I’m excited to see where this takes us in the coming years.

What is your favourite programming language for web development and why?

In terms of programming, I would say PHP as it’s so versatile and has many frameworks that can be used, such as Laravel.

Can you share a memorable or challenging project you've worked on recently?

Recently I've been working on an e-commerce website where school photos can be ordered. It has been a challenging but fun project and I have really enjoyed building out the frontend for that.

What does web development entail? Can you share a typical run-through of your day?

No two days are the same for me. It depends on what my tasks are for the day.

Generally, I assign myself tasks at the beginning of the day or work on the task that I started the day before.

Every day, the team have a daily stand-up meeting where we each explain what tasks we are working on and ask any questions that need to be asked. It gives us an opportunity to catch up as well.

Some days I plan out certain features and then work on them. Some days, I could be researching and others I am working on already planned tasks. I also build APIs for the app developers to use so that the web software and app can talk to each other. 

Are there any areas of web development you're particularly passionate about or interested in exploring further?

Right now, I’m enjoying working with the JavaScript frameworks. I have worked with Vue a lot and am currently learning React which I’m finding very interesting.

National WebMistress Day serves as a reminder of the incredible contributions that our heroes make to the web development industry. Through dedication, innovation, and sheer talent, these individuals shape the digital landscape that we interact with daily. As we celebrate this day, let's acknowledge and support the talented developers who continue to inspire and drive positive change in the tech world. Here's to all the heroes shaping the future of web development – your contributions inspire us all!