Modernizing the Clinical Trial Industry as a Frontend Engineer｜employee interview
This time, we will deliver an interview with Mr. Alex, who works as a
frontend engineer in the product headquarters system development department.
ー Please introduce yourself first!
My name is Alex. I grew up in the countryside in Ireland, but have spent most of my time living in Tokyo since 2013. I studied Multimedia Programming in university, which is where I first learned some of the skills needed for software development. To be honest I wasn't particularly interested in becoming a software developer at the time, and after graduating with a 3-year degree I decided to try something completely different, and so I spent about 4 years teaching English in Japan.
I enjoyed teaching but it seemed to me that there were very few opportunities for career advancement. I also wanted to do a job that would offer more opportunities for creativity and intellectual stimulation. That rekindled my interest in technology and software development, and I decided to go back to university in Ireland and do an extra year of study to earn a 4-year Bachelors degree.
I had really enjoyed living in Japan, so after graduating again from university I immediately started looking for work as a software developer in Tokyo and I was lucky to find a position at a small company in Gotanda. I spent a year working there before leaving with a friend to join another company in Shibuya where I worked as a full-stack engineer for 3 years, before joining Buzzreach.
ー Please tell us about your role and mission at Buzzreach.
I work as a frontend developer at Buzzreach. My job is to take the UI designs for the web applications we develop, and implement them in code. I have to ensure that the UI functions smoothly so that the users can enjoy using the system without any frustration.
ー Why did you choose Buzzreach?
I was attracted to Buzzreach for several reasons.
Firstly, as a software developer, it's very motivating if you know that the systems you develop are actually going to be useful to people. The systems we develop at Buzzreach are to be used in healthcare, in particular in clinical trials, and so I have the satisfaction of knowing that the work I do is contributing to society in a positive way.
The second big thing that attracted me was the promise of a healthy working environment and a great work-life balance. The company offers flextime, so I can adjust my working schedule to suit my needs, and I can also do a lot of my work from home.
Thirdly, Buzzreach allows me to focus exclusively on frontend development, which is something I was keen on doing. At my previous companies I was working almost as a jack of all trades, switching roles from one project to the next and having to learn a new technology every time. And while that was certainly interesting, it also brought with it a sense of frustration, that I wasn't able to truly master any one particular discipline. Now that I have the opportunity to specialize in frontend development, I'm a lot more motivated to put in the work and become an expert in the field.
Finally, in my interview, I was able to talk directly to existing members of the system development team. I found them very easy to talk to, and overall I was left with a very positive impression of the company.
ー What kind of company do you want Buzzreach to become in the future?
I believe that Buzzreach will come to be regarded as a pioneering company in the field of clinical trials. I hope that the systems we develop will make a big contribution to modernizing the industry and speeding up the process of developing new pharmaceutical products. I hope that we will always maintain a reputation for being reliable, professional, and forward-thinking.
ー Finally, please give a message to everyone looking at this article who is looking to change jobs.
At Buzzreach you will be surrounded by other highly motivated, skilled professionals in a relaxed and healthy working environment. If you are interested in working with us to develop services that contribute to better healthcare, we would be happy to have you!
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