What It is Like Being a Front-End Developer at NordPass

Today, one of our front-end developers, Samantha Ponce, joins us for a quick interview and shares her experiences of what it's like being a part of the NordPass team and more.

Could you tell us about your role at NordPass and how long you’ve been working here?

I am a Front-End Engineer for NordPass desktop and extension, and I have been working here for almost four months.

Why did you choose NordPass as your workplace? What made you decide to join?

I was using and loving NordVPN when I received the offer, so I didn’t hesitate to accept it — I wanted to be part of something that was already making my internet experience better.

Could you tell us about your experience working with Angular?

I started working with Angular as soon as I graduated, around 4 years ago. It was easy for me to learn because it’s based on JavaScript, which I already knew. It has a rigid structure, so you know exactly where everything is.

What is your experience working with React?

A year ago, I knew that a lot of companies were using React. I was curious to learn it but didn’t really focus on it. That was until I needed to find a new job — of course, everyone was working in React, so I decided to finally study it as I should. But I didn’t find it that easy because, even though it’s also based on JavaScript, it’s really flexible. You don’t have a structure or order — you can basically do whatever you want. Of course, you have to rely on standards and best practices, and I soon adapted to this way of working.

Which one do you prefer more: Angular or React? Why?

These days, I think I prefer React, because once you get familiar with it, you can take advantage of its flexibility. It’s also more lightweight than Angular. And, of course, it helped me get a role at NordPass.

Have you faced any challenges while working at NordPass?

Yes. I was used to working with a small team on a small project, and I was the only front-end developer. Switching to a big project with a lot of developers was a big change for me. I had to find my way to learning about the product, project, and, of course, the team. Now I’m more comfortable, but I still need to learn more and improve my skills so I could help everyone here take the product to the next level.

In your opinion, what qualities of a developer can be improved while developing a NordPass product?

What advice would you give to someone considering joining the NordPass team?

Be ready to have fun, meet wonderful people, and learn a lot. We’re growing and think we can get NordPass to be a world-known product which will help everyone have a better and safer internet experience.

Let’s talk about your hobbies! We heard that you really like cooking and baking. How long have you been doing that?

I started cooking when I moved to Germany, around 3 years ago. I always watched and helped my mom, who cooked and baked a lot, but I rarely did anything myself. So, when I moved here and had to cook for myself, I realized that I really enjoyed it and started recreating my mom’s recipes that I’d learned during all those years I spent helping her.

Could we expect you to cook something for the NordPass team? What would be the easiest thing to cook for the whole team?

Sure! I would need to go to Lithuania first, but it would be nice to share some of my creations with everyone. The easiest food to cook for a lot of people is, of course, tacos. So, be prepared.