Written by: Maud Langasken
Role: Frontend Developer
Company name: Starring Jane
Country: Belgium
Working with Umbraco since: 2018
I have a background you wouldn’t expect. I’ve never studied development - I actually have a Master’s degree in Arts! And in the past, I used to sell hot dogs at Ikea or was a job coach for the unemployed.
Then, a few years ago, I took the step towards frontend development, and the rest is history.
The transition between my occupations wasn’t as bad as you’d think; the creative thinking processes are surprisingly similar. Plus, I learned all front-end development through working with Umbraco. It’s so easy to get started with! I don’t think I’d still be a developer if I was working with a different CMS…
The Umbraco Community is so open and helpful, especially for those who are just getting started. Until now I’ve mainly been standing on the giant Community’s shoulders. Fake it till you make it!
My involvement and journey with the Community is only just beginning, now in joining the Umbraco Backoffice Community Team. Being picked for the team is definitely my proudest moment in the Community so far!
I’m looking forward to getting more involved in the community and I hope I can contribute to it just as much as I will undoubtedly learn from it.
I recently took the ‘Searching and Indexing with Examine’ Umbraco training course because search components were definitely something I needed help with - and help it did! The best part of passing the course was feeling independent in that particular task, without having to ask a backend developer to help.
24 Days in Umbraco is also a great learning resource. When looking for an answer to specific issues, I turn to the forum or the documentation, but all those years of articles on 24 Days are a great way of extending your knowledge beyond that.
At Starring Jane, we are setting up our own in-house Umbraco 9 boiler plate/template which I would love to share with the Community somewhere down the road.
We just finished the new website for Subaru Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
On another note, I was planning to go to Raja Ampat this summer to work as a volunteer in marine conservation, planting corals and counting endangered species while scuba diving. The Indonesian health measurements are still too strict for us to go this summer, but I really hope this project is somewhere in my near future…
I must admit my favorite everyday pastime is just to go out with friends - and I do this close to every day.
It’s the same even with our team at Starring Jane. The atmosphere is amazing there, and we all like to hang out with a drink - and some time away from the computer screens - after work 😊 I am super lucky with my “entourage”, and I know it!
How about some fun facts about me?
My superpower of choice: I’d choose breathing underwater, with flying as a close second. I love to dive because it makes me feel like flying, so honestly, any of those would do. Diving gives you access to a whole other world, but then again, flying might help me get over my fear of heights… 🤔
My most memorable meals: Tough pick! I’ve had dinner on a glass table on top of a crane. I’ve dined in complete darkness with blind people as waiters. I also smuggled a wine and cheese dinner to Egypt one time because my girlfriend lived there for a while. I almost got caught. Almost 😉
My playlist on repeat: That would be my Friday! Playlist (feel free to check it out!), because I like to think the weekend is ALWAYS right around the corner. And it actually is for me, since I work 90% of a full-time job in 4 days, where I split those in the middle with a free Wednesday. It’s a bit eclectic, but hey, it gets me going!
I try not to use social media (I get enough screen time as it is 🖥️), but I do have a Linkedin profile we can connect on!
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