At REA Group, we use new technology and our collective knowledge to deliver the best products and services to change the way the world experiences property. Exciting right?
My responsibility is developing digital mobile products and creating a personalised and sticky experience, powered by rich REA data, to improve the engagement of our customers. But to put it simply, any applications running on your phone are developed by mobile developers like me.
My typical day start’s at 9 am. I check my slack channels and my inbox to see if there are any new emails. Sometimes I will do reflections on learning or organise information before stand-up. Our team stand-up is around 9:45 am. After stand-up, we have a quick tech huddle where we share something we built or discuss technologies want to learn more about. Except for regular team rituals, I work on my task on the Kanban board, currently, I am working on solving the tracking issue with a new feature we are about to release soon.
I grew up in a small city in the south part of China, I have completed my bachelor's degree in Telecommunication Engineering, which equipped me with hardware knowledge. Apart from that, I had been exposed to programming in C and C++. I had an interest in programming and developing small programs, so I decided to explore the software world by pursuing a master’s degree in information technology at the University of Melbourne.
I am so happy that I decided to come to another country to complete my master’s degree. It was tough at the start due to the language barrier and the pressure from changing my major. However, studying abroad broadened my horizons and improved my soft skills. Most importantly, I got a chance to change my career path and become a software developer, which I am passionate about.
I have been with REA for just over a year now. During the graduate program, I did different rotations to figure out what I was passionate about which led me to become a mobile developer.
Yes! Anything is possible if you are passionate about it and willing to learn, you can do it!
Obviously, it's useful to have some programming knowledge before doing mobile development, but it’s not necessary. The fun part of being a software developer is that you are always learning. Even if you have been a mobile developer for 5 years, you still learn every day. Change is constant, but that’s what makes it exciting and challenging.
Solving problems.
The process of figuring out the solution is what I enjoy most. Sometimes it can be hard, the problem can be tricky and it’s not straightforward. But once you find the solution, the feeling of accomplishment makes everything worthwhile.
You have to upgrade your skills continuously as technology changes every day. You need to have a curious mindset and the drive to seek out opportunities to learn. Otherwise, you will be left behind in the race. So, if you are excited to continuously learn, comfortable with ambiguity, a career in tech might be the place for you.