This week, Rose went on the record with Mark Johnson, a long-time front-end engineer at Brightspot, formerly Perfect Sense, who recently celebrated his 7-year anniversary with the company. A former chef, Mark provided unique insight into his career change and what has made him successful as a developer.
How long have you worked for Brightspot? What brought you here?
I have been working here for about 7 years. I started working for Brightspot in 2010 as contractor, which later turned into a full-time position.
What is your current project? Can you detail your role on the team?
I am currently working on a site for Johnson & Johnson. I do front end work on the project, mostly working with HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
What inspired you to become a software engineer?
I didn't start out working with computers. I initially went to culinary school and worked in the industry as chef for about 10 years before I discovered that I loved to build websites. My first developer gig was building simple log-in pages for a company that sold conferencing services.
How do you think Brightspot best benefits our clients?
Brightspot provides a comprehensive and intuitive platform for them to manage their digital assets.
What traits or characteristics do you think help make someone successful as a software engineer?
I think a successful developer is always learning and open to new and different ways of doing things.
What has been your favorite project during your time at Brightspot? Why?
My favorite project was HealthGrades. There was a really talented team that I had the opportunity to be a part of and the client was a pleasure to work with throughout the project.
What piece of advice would you give a recent graduate preparing to start his/her career in engineering?
I would encourage them to never stop learning and not to be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes provide an important opportunity to learn and allow you to do better next time.
Besides the people, what is your favorite part about working at Brightspot? What is your favorite part about our office?
My favorite part about working here is the challenging nature of our projects and the fun and interesting things we get to build. My favorite part about the office it it's location, because we have so many different options for lunch and I live close by.
What is the last book you read? Would you recommend it?
The last book I read was The Martian by Andy Weir. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good book about surviving in space.
If you could be any animal, which animal would you be, and why?
I would be a panther because they are powerful and stealthy.
Where would you go in a time machine?
I would go back to 1973 in order to see Led Zeppelin in concert!
