Day in the life of Thomas, Senior Front-end React Developer

January 29, 2024 | Thomas Ledoux, Senior Front-end React Developer at The Reference

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Two people in conversation

Meet Thomas

Thomas, is one of Senior Front-end React Developers.  

His role is a dynamic mix of coding and integrating new features, using AI to enhance efficiency. He collaborates closely with the team, mentors junior colleagues, and continuously adopts new technologies to drive both personal and professional growth. 

In this insight, he will take us through his daily routine, sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between. 

Journal entry

7:00 AM

I woke up feeling a little tired but ready for a new day. After a hot shower, I got ready for work. Breakfast was quick – a bowl of oats and a cup of coffee. #dadlife

8:00 AM

The real start to my day began as I hopped on my bike for a 15-minute ride to work. It is the perfect morning ritual, allowing me to wake up fully, get some exercise, and catch up on my favorite (tech) podcasts as well. Shout out to the guys from Computer Club. 

 

8:15 AM

Arriving at the office, I made myself a delicious cup of coffee and engaged in some social conversation with my colleagues. A quick check of my emails showed a calm day ahead with no urgent issues demanding my attention, so time for some focus work!

8:30 AM

The client’s JIRA board was my roadmap for the day. I went through the tickets that have been assigned to me and plan my day accordingly.  

9:00 AM

I joined the first stand-up call of the day, updating the team on my progress and today’s targets. The meeting ran smoothly, and I really enjoyed the sense of collaboration.

9:30 AM

Immersed in code, the morning speeds by. Today’s focus is integrating a new feature involving complex front-end logic. This involved some repetitive tasks, each requiring minor tweaks to similar lines of code.

In such cases, AI comes in handy. It can recognize patterns which allows it to quickly predict necessary changes, saving me a lot of time. Of course, I always double-check the outcome. Whether it is dealing with algorithms or needing to filter through data, utilizing AI enables me to handle these tasks with remarkable efficiency, transforming what could be a tedious process into a streamlined part of my development work.

11:00 AM

I took a quick coffee break and chatted with a colleague about our summer holidays.

11:15 AM

Refreshed from the break, I got back to work to tackle more complex challenges that required a bit of research and creative problem-solving.  

12:05 PM

With the sun peaking through, I took a short walk to clear my mind, then had lunch on our balcony. It was nothing too fancy, I just brought my own sandwiches and had some soup. 

AI significantly streamlines my coding process, transforming intricate tasks into efficient routines.

Thomas Ledoux, Senior Front-end React Developer

1:00 PM

I had a brief sync with the solution architect on the project to ensure seamless integration between the backend and the frontend. A recent Next.JS conference in Amsterdam I attended, inspired a new approach to use more standard based code than using custom plugins that I was eager to apply to our project.

3:30 PM

As as senior developer, mentoring junior colleagues is a very rewarding part of my role. Today, I dedicated some time helping out a junior developer understand a tricky part of the application and helping them see the bigger picture of the project. I think it is important to always see the bigger picture and not get lost in the details. This is something I would tell my younger self as well when starting this job. So, I am very pleased I get to coach my colleagues and help them grow. 

Guiding junior developers helps reinforce my understanding and appreciation of the broader project scope.

Thomas Ledoux, Senior Front-end React Developer

4:00 PM

Time for pie. This is one of my regular routines together with my colleague, Ken. We sometimes discuss topics ranging from recent tech seminars like the conference in Amsterdam. However, today we just talked about our summer holidays and upcoming weekend plans. Something that not only satiates our sweet tooth but also strengthens our friendship. 

4:30 PM

I focused on finishing my tasks for the day. It is always satisfying to tick off each one by the end of the day. I then reviewed and updated the JIRA tickets with their current statuses to keep the team informed. Filled in my timesheets and that was it for today.  

5:15 PM

The bike ride back home is my wind-down ritual. By the time I am home, my mind has cleared, and I am ready to enjoy the evening with my family.

6:00 PM

It was my turn for dinner. I made my signature dish, spaghetti à la Thomas. Of course, they all loved it. 

7:30 PM 

Spent some time on personal projects, currently enhancing my personal website with a new technology I discovered, Astro. It is both a hobby and an opportunity for professional development. I also added a post about my enhancements on my blog.

10:30 PM

Time to call it a night, ready to recharge for another fulfilling day tomorrow.

Senior Front-end Developer looking for a job?


You have come to the right place! We are looking for colleagues like Thomas to help us make an impact for our clients.  Take a look at our open positions and maybe we will talk to you soon! 

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