Updated on by Hayley Brown
Patrick joined the Cyclr team after finishing his University degree. He has progressed well through the company going from a Connector Developer to a member of the Platform team.
What’s your current role and what do you like about it?
Currently, I am a back and front-end developer, extending the Cyclr architecture with new features.
I love programming, it feels like one big puzzle, so I am currently loving my position in the company. It is also great because I get to work on many different areas across the Cyclr platform. I like the fact that the work is very varied.
How did you get into Programming?
Initially, I wanted to work as a networking and DevOps developer. This is because I worked a lot on my home server/network and to me, it seemed natural to go into this area as a job. However while at university, I discovered programming using Java which resulted in an epiphany and resulted in me quickly deciding to pursue a programming and developer career instead.
What’s your earliest memory of you learning to code?
Probably writing some (very) basic HTML at home when I was a child. I remember my Dad showing me the basics and then letting me naturally navigate my way around. This was very early on. I was using a text editor to write the raw HTML, and it was before Javascript was around to make everything dynamic. It blew my mind that I could create my own website.
What’s a programming language that you would build EVERYTHING and ANYTHING in and why?
I love C# because it feels like it can do anything I ask of it, and it is constantly improving. It may not be as fast as lower-level languages like C or C++, but it gets close in some areas.
It also feels very intuitive to write in and its very broad use case means that you really can make anything with it. Although other languages may be better suited for some tasks. Since it’s backed by a large company there are constantly new tools being released for the language, extending its usability even further.
What’s something you think Software developers do not do enough of?
Documenting, which I hold my hands up to being guilty of.
It is probably because we write the script and we understand it. As a result, we assume that others will be able to understand it as well.
However, I do think I am getting better at this, but do catch myself not documenting a lot.
What is your least favourite thing about programming?
While I love that new technology is always coming out, I think it can be a bit overwhelming. This is because I often feel like you need to understand everything that is changing. At times attempting to learn everything can feel futile.
What’s a technology you’re currently learning or excited to learn?
Currently, I am learning and using Blazor, which is a new feature in ASP.NET. It basically lets you build extensive web applications without the need for JavaScript. Since most companies only hire backend developers now, instead of having dedicated teams for both the backend and front end, using a framework lets you write a fully functional web application exclusively using C#. I think this is very exciting.
Time travel 10 years into the past or 10 years into the future? What does technology look like?
10 years in the future will be fun, especially seeing what new technologies await us. I believe we are in the beginning stages of seeing new technologies such as AI. I imagine in 10 years these technologies will be much further developed.
It’s a very exciting time to be involved in this area.
Lastly, what advice would you give to a budding developer?
Stick at it, at first you will not know what you are doing at all. But you will eventually work it out, and get better and better, you just have to keep practising. Everyone started off at the bottom, but if you dedicate yourself to learning to program you will get the hang of it.
