Coherent Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Alexandra, Backend Web Developer

Q. Hello, can you give us a little introduction to who you are and what you do here at Coherent?

I’m Alexandra, a full-stack developer with an emphasis on backend. This basically means that I work on most app elements, but I like to focus on the core application logic, APIs and databases. 

Q. Where do you live? What do you love about it?  

I recently bought a house in Cheshire, England, and honestly, at the moment, I wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s unbelievably peaceful. There’s so much to do around here, and yet you have the freedom and space just to unwind and relax. 

There’s castles, parks, zoos, cathedrals, sports, museums, art galleries, theatres, food markets, antique shops, and (most importantly!) plenty of forests, lakes and fields for me to take my dogs, so they can chase ducks and squirrels and run crazy wild.

 Q. How long have you been with the company?

I’ve been with the company for almost nine months now, and I know everyone says this, but honestly, it’s gone so quickly. It’s an absolute pleasure to work with Coherent – the team are a really friendly, supportive group and most days, it doesn’t feel like work at all.

Q. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An author. Like all kids, I had such a vivid imagination – so as soon as I could write, I wrote stories. I loved reading too, so much so that the school and the local library had to order new books for me because I’d read them all. When I was about four, my parents finally let me go on the family computer to play writing and reading games, and I was hooked. It didn’t take long before I discovered the internet, and I was absolutely mind-blown: I wanted to learn all about how to make websites…which eventually lead me to a career in web development.

Q. What’s one thing that surprised you about working at Coherent?

How flexible it is here! We work four days a week, remotely, with flexi-time and unlimited holidays. I don’t think you can get more flexible than that! It still astounds me to this day, and I’m still trying to get used to it. Even more surprising is how much this has improved my mental wellbeing – I’m not stressed, I’m well-rested, and far more productive.

Q. What are you most looking forward to in the future with Coherent? 

We’re about to revamp how we engineer our front end completely. This update is significant for two reasons: 1) It will make code changes more streamlined, so new features and bug fixes will be released to production faster, and 2) Our engineers will be able to harness newer, more modern technology to keep our skillsets up-to-date.

Q. What’s your favourite way to unwind after a busy day?

Exploring Delamere Forest with my two huskies. We like to avoid the crowds and climb the mountain biking trails – which is quite the thrill when you’re attached to two sledge dogs! 

At the moment, I’m teaching them the routes to eventually take them bike touring – which, I must admit, I’m a bit nervous about doing!

Q. If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

It’s a bit of an unconventional superpower, but…if I could choose, it would be the ability to import knowledge into my brain instantly. No more spending hours trying to learn something – just AirDrop it to me, and I’d understand it straight away. Is this genius or just lazy?

Q. What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

“Trust your instincts.” – From my mother. She always gave me a lot of independence as a kid, and she always taught me to trust my gut and never do something ‘just because everyone else is’. Just do whatever you feel is right.