Developer Stories: Meet Jack, Frontend Developer, Author & Speaker

I studied Computing at A-Level and found it to be a good fit. On the back of this, I chose Games Software Development at university. My degree covered all facets of computing, and so included a module on Web Development. The work was HTML, CSS, PHP, SQL and Javascript (what would be called ‘vanilla’ these days). Once I had overcome the initial learning curve, I found it to be an interesting and enjoyable area of work. When it came to the time to apply for jobs, I knew Web Development would be a great career, and looked forward to watching technology emerge. #### Hey Jack! 👋 Thanks for chatting to us! Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hey, my name is Jack Domleo, I’m 21 years old and I work as Frontend Developer. I work primarily with Vue.js, TypeScript & SCSS amongst other technology. I really love Disney, ice hockey and hot places.

How did you get into software development? What sparked your interest in it when you were younger?

I was 13 and choosing my GCSE subjects. I was going to choose ICT until last minute, my school added a new subject to the curriculum… Computer Science. I found this subject very interesting, especially the programming side of it more than the theory. They taught us basic programming in Python and this sparked a huge interest and joy in writing code.

How did you end up working with your current tech stack? Did you actively decide to specialise in a11y and Vue, if so how come?

Not particularly, I fell into it, but I’m glad I did. After Sixth Form, I found an apprenticeship and I accepted the first apprenticeship opportunity I was presented with.

It just so happened to be that this role was working with web technologies. It wasn’t until my second role, did A11y and Vue come into my job.

I learned Vue since this was the framework the company was using and I fell in love with how simple it was and lightweight. I became passionate about A11y because I’m the kind of person who likes to do things right and writing code with A11y in mind, to me, is the correct way to write frontend code.

I made it part of my job to write the most accessible code I could without it using up too much time.

Where do you see your career and yourself progressing in the next 5-10 years? Are there any new technologies that excite you or you want to work with in the future?

For now I want to stick with web technologies, but I can see a future in AR. AR has the potential to enhance the human race with AR glasses, AR goggles, AR windscreens, etc. This is something that excites me and something I may consider learning in my spare time when I feel I’m ready to leave web development.

I see you work fully remotely - what appealed to you to work remotely? Did you actively search for a remote role? What do you like about it, over office based work?

I recently invested in a new desk, chair and equipment and didn’t want it to go to waste. 😅 I wasn’t looking for a remote role, I was looking for a role where I’d have the option to work from home or in the office whenever I wanted.

I’m fully remote now because at the time I started at this company, no offices were open so I didn’t think it made any difference. I like not having any commute time, but it is very lonely.

But I have my rabbit, Fluff, to keep me company during the day.

You’re super active in the tech community! What inspired you to write your own ebook, “Level-Up Your Career Today: Developer Edition”? For example, was this out of personal development reasons, did you see other people in the industry were struggling etc.?

I’ve always wanted to write a book and mark my name on it, but this isn’t why I wrote it. I noticed very quickly, after gaining approximately 2k-3k followers on Twitter & 500+ connections on LinkedIn, that my career progression was very steep in the right direction. I received many messages asking me how I managed to get jobs so easily and I have managed to maintain a 100% interview success rate.

Have a read of his ebook here.

I’d like to touch upon your experience you wrote on your blog about your stutter. It shouldn’t be something that’s awkward to address or talk about in the workplace. So what advice would you give to people who work with someone who stutters?

There’s always two sides to this argument: those who want certain things set in place, and those who don’t care. Despite my article from last year, I’m very open about my stutter.

I’ll make jokes about it, I encourage others to make jokes about my stutter because it honestly doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is if someone starts getting to nervous they’re going to offend me and start asking me lots of questions - to this I say, “I’m not a snowflake, I’m an adult.

On the other hand, everyone is different. My experience is introverts generally want you to ask them what they want, and extroverts aren’t bothered. I’m an extrovert so explains why I’m ok about anything.

If someone has a stutter, joining a new workplace and meeting new people could be a daunting task. What advice would you give to someone who stutters and how to open and engage in conversations about it?

Seek speech therapy if you can because they will teach you so much. This is easier said than done but confidence always empowers stammering. Again, if you’re like me, you’ll have no issue engaging in conversations. But if you’re not like me, there’s other ways you can engage - for example, simply raising your hand to signal you have something to say always helps.

What about your personal life? What do you do to kick back and relax when you’re not at work?

I love ice hockey, I go and support my local team, the Nottingham Panthers. I’m a huge Disney fan so I love to watch Disney+ and I’m always planning my next trip to Walt Disney World in Florida (hoping for summer 2023 🤞).

I enjoy playing on the Xbox - I enjoy games with stories behind them rather than competitive games.I love walking and going to the gym, and I love a general drive in my car.

I often do other coding projects or developer related activities in my spare time too. Love catching up on the latest UK news & politics, and occasionally sitting down with a good book.

Thanks for chatting with us!

Follow Jack’s journey on his blog and socials.