Levent, Software Developer
Levent is a full-stack developer at CHECK24's Hamburg location. Please find out about his biggest project so far and how working for CHECK24 has helped him to become a true professional.
Hi Levent, tell us first of all: What do you do at CHECK24?
Levent:
I've been working at CHECK24 in Hamburg since August 2019 for the "Travel Insurance" product as a Full Stack developer. However, I have been focusing a lot on our front lately.
This has allowed me to be primarily responsible for the front end of our product. My last projects have all focused on rewriting old pages in React.
What can you tell us about your journey at CHECK24?
Levent:
After my apprenticeship, I started as a junior developer. I felt very well taken care of, and everyone was friendly from the first day. The support of the entire team (especially in the beginning) was something special and helped me quickly adjust.
I was then allowed to implement my first project with other colleagues early on. Even though this wasn't the most straightforward project, we learned a lot from the following projects. Over time, I got more familiar with these topics and gradually shifted my focus toward frontend development.
What was your biggest project so far?
Levent:
One of the most significant and essential frontend projects I implemented last year: was the conversion from KnockoutJs to React in our desktop comparison site. At the same time, we reworked the design in several places (for example, we created a new filter bar). In close cooperation between IT and product management, we created a project plan that accompanied us through the approx. 7 weeks of implementation. We worked along our EPIC roadmap and had daily standup meetings to discuss what everyone was working on, how we were progressing if we were reaching our milestones, or if we needed to reschedule.
I really enjoyed working closely with product management on that project. Seeing the plan being implemented step by step (in most cases) coming to fruition and working together to bring the new site and features to life. We started with an empty page, and in the end, we had our new comparison page. While we were at it, we fully implemented this in our frontend target architecture, so new developers have a super convenient way to get started with our code. In addition, it is the most important page for our customers as they decide whether to sign up for a tariff.
Why the change to React?
Through the project, we have many advantages in the product today; developing on the site is much easier, and the code is clearly structured.
Levent, Software Developer
You report about the close cooperation with other colleagues, how exactly should we imagine that?
Levent:
Our greatest strength, both within and across teams, is communication. We make sure that everyone is kept in the loop. In addition to direct contact in the office, we also use digital tools for this (especially in times of Corona). For example, we regularly update each other on our tickets via our "status" channel. That is super transparent and helps keep an excellent home office overview.
We have further improved and digitalized many things during the first lockdown period. For example, we moved our daily standup to a newly created Discord server, where we created voice channels for IT staff, product managers, and break-out sessions. We stayed in Discord throughout the day, so anyone could turn on their microphone and throw a question into the room at any time.
We also regularly exchange ideas among the developers on technical and organizational topics. For example, once a week, we have a dev team meeting in which we propose changes to concepts, discuss them and discuss problems. At the start of work, we often talk about exciting code someone has recently written and wants to show the team. That way, we make sure that we learn from each other permanently.
What helped you become the professional you are today?
Levent:
My team and all the colleagues I work with. I started here right after my apprenticeship, as I mentioned at the beginning. I was thrilled to find that the learning culture and the interaction with junior developers were very different from what I knew. For example, when asked, "How do I solve problem XY not the fastest, but the best way?" my colleagues always sat down with me and explained concepts, processes, and everything else in great detail. Another decisive factor was that I always get the time I need to familiarize myself with new topics first, without feeling the pressure of being left alone with a problem. So I then also often tried to step out of my comfort zone and take on new or difficult things.
I was lucky enough to take on many front-end tasks in my team. When I was given my own project, I was very proud. Mainly because I put all my effort into it, gave my best, learned a lot of new things, and my achievements were seen and recognized. Since then, I have grown steadily with each new project and challenge. Of course, I still need to be satisfied, and I look forward to new challenges at CHECK24.