Python developer Kelly Dela Cruz joined Cloud Employee a year ago and is currently working for an Australian-based firm. As an eager problem-solver, he loves seeing the bigger picture of things as part of his development practice. Kelly’s a critical thinker and a totally cool developer combined, which makes him an invaluable contributor to a development team. We’re putting the spotlight on him for this month’s developer feature.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself (who are you, where are you from, what drives and motivates you, etc.)?

I’m Kelly Dela Cruz, from Nueva Ecija. I’ve been in software development since 2014, although not continuously because I’ve been in different positions, like software engineering support. My experience on software development alone would probably be around two and a half years now.

What drives me and motivates me in my work is the weight of the problem, especially when it requires a lot of logical thinking. The challenge excites me a lot.

When and how did you get started on programming? 

I got started in college, since we had subjects in programming. They started teaching us pseudo-code, C language, Assembly, Java, as well as VBasic for desktop development and PHP and JavaScript for web development. After working with two companies, I decided to learn Python by myself.

What is the programming language and/or framework of your choice? Why?

I would say it’s Python. Its versatility allows me to use it in different applications from scripting, web development, networking, and even in machine learning. All of these are possible because of Python’s extensive support libraries and its large active community. It’s open source too.

For web framework, I choose Django. Since it’s built using Python, it is open source, its document is good and it also has a large community and libraries support.

Can you share some projects you’ve done? Which of them are you most proud of and why? 

The main focus of my job is web scraping and data cleaning, but that is just the beginning. The real fun starts when we move to different kinds of projects that are not based on scraping websites, and which requires resourcefulness and a lot of testing. It’s like leaving my comfort zone.

Currently, my client and I are developing a website that will handle multiple servers containing different projects. It will serve as a command center for the business wherein everything will be handled at once. Like I said earlier, this requires a lot of research and testing, and I’m proud of this project because we now have a proof of concept that is working.

In your work experience as a developer, what’s a frequently overlooked skill that proved surprisingly useful?

I think it’s being able to understand the problem as it is, and also looking at it from a wider point of view. When a developer starts coding, the basic requirement is to solve a certain problem. However, there comes a time later on when some functionalities will demand a robust code that is flexible enough to handle its tasks. In order to achieve that, you need to think ahead. You need to design your code properly in a way that it is easy to understand, extensible, and usable, to avoid repetition.

A specific skill that is also extremely useful is using regular expression or regex for text processing. It helps me a lot in my job because even though it’s quite complex, it solves problems with short line of codes.

What projects/technologies do you enjoy working on in your spare time?

In my spare time, I’m just reading up on programming because I don’t want to get left behind, especially in my job. I want to be up to date and I want to refresh my skills, so I study mostly Python and Django. Also, I’m checking on how blockchain works and how I can apply it in my present job, or possibly in future projects too. I also enjoy looking into Kali Linux as well because it has a lot of cool stuff that I can play with.  

Walk us through your day. What’s a typical day like for you as a developer?

My usual routine goes as simple as this: sleep, wake up, drink coffee, then code. My shift usually starts at 7 am and ends at 4 pm. If I’m not working, I’m watching videos, TV series, and movies. Some of my favorites are The Flash, Shooter, and Daredevil. I also watch guitar tutorials.

What’s your favorite part of being a developer? 

My favorite part is feeling that being a developer is a perk in itself. Being a developer is fun, because for me it’s just like you’re playing a puzzle game all the time—it’s challenging. It keeps my brain busy and excited.

Tech is an industry where the trends and requirements change quickly. How do you keep your skills up to date?

Just like what every developer does, I make sure to continuously learn and read on the trends and new technologies that can be used or applied in projects. I also have the habit of testing them first so I can see the difference. Sometimes, though, I believe it’s not how the trends or technologies change. It’s about how you can keep up with them by being proficient and advanced with your technology stack.

What made you decide to work at Cloud Employee? 

I found out about Cloud Employee while searching through job openings at a Facebook group. What really encouraged me to work at Cloud Employee is the job itself, as well as the competitive compensation package.
 

What’s it like working at Cloud Employee so far?

In my one year of working at Cloud Employee, I can say that it’s fun working here. They are providing us with different events like Foodie Fridays, Social Fridays, and exciting games every month. Events like these really help us to relieve our stress. I can remember playing Foosball last November. Though my partner and I lost in the quarterfinals, the experience was memorable and enjoyable.  

What would be your dream developer setup, in terms of hardware and software? / What do you use to get the job done?

A laptop that has a good keyboard, fast processor, a large size of RAM. In terms of software: Linux OS, tmux and Vim. And, of course, a fast internet and an extra monitor.

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