Portrait of Iris, Web Developer

Iris is a web developer with a unique career change, a journey marked by creativity. Let's dive into her story.

Hello, Iris, could you introduce yourself briefly?

Sure, I'm Iris, 41 years old, and I've been a dev' for a few months now since my career change :)

What is your background? (Education, training/previous job)

My background is a bit unconventional. I studied film (bachelor's degree) and then I learned video editing on my own, a profession in which I worked for over 10 years.

I expanded my role by becoming a motion designer as well. Later, after the first lockdown and experiencing early signs of burnout, I decided to pursue the other field that had always interested me: development. I started in June 2021 with a three-month training, followed by an apprenticeship for the Professional Title of Application Designer Developer. I defended my project and completed the program in late February 2023, earning my Professional Title. A little over a month later, I signed my permanent contract at Pix!

Your current job, what are your tasks exactly?

I am a fullstack developer (and full JS) at Pix. It's a platform that validates digital skills by answering a series of questions on the subject.

I co-create simulators for the questions with members of my team. Since it's a site where we test our digital knowledge, we simulate a page like Instagram or software like Word, etc., where the user can interact to answer the questions.

What do you enjoy most about your web developer job?

My mind is never at rest. While I felt stagnant in my previous profession and was getting bored, with the dev' job, I am constantly learning and I'm never alone in the learning process!

What bothers you the most in this profession?

Honestly, where I am, I don't have much to complain about. It's true that sometimes we have a lot of meetings, but I see them as necessary "breaks" for the brain, so I can come back to my code with a fresh perspective.

What does a typical day with Iris look like?

I wake up around 8:30/9 am, have my breakfast, and then start with the daily stand-up. After that, we stay connected on Meet to work on the day's tasks.

At lunchtime, I take the time to prepare a good meal and even treat myself to a short nap. Then, I work until around 6 pm, followed by some yoga and relaxation.

What technologies do you use on a daily basis?

I work with full JavaScript, mostly using VueJS. Sometimes with vanilla JS. When I'm working on the public repository, I use EmberJS on the front-end and HapiJS on the back-end.

Do you have any advice for those who want to pursue the same career as you?

If you're motivated, even if you're starting from scratch, go for it! Motivation doesn't necessarily mean wanting to code 24/7... Also, don't get stuck on just one language. Coding isn't about languages; it's about knowing how to search to solve a problem.

Any recommended resources? (Book, website, podcast...)

I think it's a good idea to follow the dev community on Twitter, which is quite active and has a lot of cool folks (just block anyone looking for trouble :)). Otherwise, like many, I started with OpenClassrooms (formerly known as Le Site du Zéro) which is a great platform to start with free resources.

For the rest, I don't want to impose anything, especially considering that with a quick Google search, the internet has a wealth of resources for everyone based on their specific needs.

I saw that you enjoy drawing and have a podcast, could you tell us more about these projects?

Yes, drawing has always been a part of my life (just like coding, with a dad and a brother who are IT professionals), but I chose to keep it as a hobby rather than a profession. I never really gained much attention on social media with my drawings, except when I started illustrating my journey as a career-changer through comics! Surprisingly, that gained quite a bit of popularity, and it was heartwarming to see people relate to my story.

As for the podcast, it's totally unrelated to development, as it's a podcast dedicated to Friends, a show that's close to my heart from the beginning. It's been dormant for a few months, but it should be coming back soon. We cover the series episode by episode, and currently, we're halfway through Season 3, so there's plenty to enjoy while waiting for our return!

Where can people find you online?

You can find me under the username irisdessine on various platforms: Twitter, BlueSky, Mastodon, ArtStation, as well as on my art blog irisdessine.blogpost.com and my development blog: irisdessine.netlify.app