Tech Candidate Spotlight – Ricardo Xavier, Software Engineer

Thanks for joining us, Ricardo! Can you share a little bit about your educational background?

I have my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and I later pursued a Masters degree in Distributed Systems, which I completed in 2019.

Which educational opportunities have made the biggest impact on your tech career?

My Bachelor’s degree was the experience that really shaped my way of thinking when approaching problems. It made me realise building software is more than making something fulfill a basic functionality. It is also about fulfilling non-functional requirements and thinking ahead about possible issues we may encounter during the whole software lifecycle.

What would you like to learn more about?

Taking into account my new position in software engineering, I would like to dig into some of the most common databases and how they work internally. Non-tech related, I would like to read more about soft skills like time management.

What led you to pursue a career in tech?

My interest in solving problems using software and my natural curiosity about things are the two main reasons behind my pursuit of a tech career. Since I was a child, I knew what I wanted to do when I was older. I was lucky to have a computer at an early age.

This unlocked my passion for computers and since then, I’ve spent a lot of time in front of a screen. However, I only began coding in high school and by then, I already knew I wanted to study Computer Science at university.

Related: Hired Releases 2022 State of Software Engineers Data Report

How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

It’s definitely still evolving. I feel like there is a lot to learn. Initially, I felt having knowledge gaps wasn’t okay but with time I’ve realized it is totally fine – I just need to continue working on filling the gaps.

If you chose to specialize in one area, what was it and why?

I chose to specialise in Distributed Systems. I am fascinated by the problems that arise when software needs to scale up and how every little detail can make the difference in these systems.

Is your new role different from previous ones?

It’s completely different. Previously, I worked for one of the top low code platforms on the market. My role was to ensure that one of the high availability services was fully operational all the time and I was tasked with incrementally adding functionality to it.

My new position is a data-centric engineering position in which the biggest challenges are connected to ingesting and processing big loads of data.

Related: Tech Candidate Spotlight – Kyle Mercer

What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role?

Making software that scales with large volumes of data is something that excites me. Entering this new area that I don’t know a lot about is also a great opportunity for learning.

What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

I’ve only been through the job search once after college. It was the traditional way of finding a job where I created a CV and searched for positions on numerous websites. It was a tiring and frustrating experience.

What’s your best advice for job seekers registered on the Hired platform? 

Build a strong profile! Highlight your best achievements, show the impact you had in your previous job experiences, and share the value you can bring to a new company. If you have a hard time assessing your impact, ask for a second opinion from someone who has worked closely with you.

They will probably be able to identify things you’ve done that impacted the team/company positively. Remember that a team achievement is also your achievement, so I encourage you to share those achievements with the world.

What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

If you’re looking for a job in tech, give it a try. You have high chances of finding a great match for your profile. Hired is new to HRs in my local area so I was unsure of whether I would find something that would match my profile and skills here. However, I was surprised to see Hired got me my best offer after searching for jobs on multiple platforms. It has brought me here so I definitely recommend that you try it out.

Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

The best advice I can give a tech professional was given to me a few years ago at a college conference: Take one to two hours each week to learn about and work on yourself. It will bring huge benefits in the long run, and you should focus on learning both hard and soft skills.

Congrats on the job! If you’d like to land a great role like Ricardo did, complete your free profile on Hired today!

If you’re looking for innovative, talented tech talent like Ricardo, ask for a demo customized to your needs.

About LandTech

LandTech is a software company building B2B SaaS Products for the Property Industry, empowering property developers to build the places that communities need to thrive. Founded in 2014, LandTech has between 51-200 employees and is headquartered in London.

Tech Stack

Node.js, MongoDB, EC2, JavaScript, Vue.JS, AWS, Kubernetes, Elasticsearch, TypeScript, Test Driven Development (TDD), Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), DevOps, PostgreSQL

Benefits

Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, maternity and paternity benefits, unlimited time off, tuition reimbursement, conferences reimbursement, flexible working hours, and more.