Rebekah G.

Interview

What is your area of focus?

I work on an application called Quest – an integrated platform our frontline employees use to service clients. They use it to provide account information, perform account maintenance, and various other tasks. I'm a full-stack developer focusing on the front end using React, but I also work with our microservices using Java Spring Boot.

What made you choose to come to work for Key?

I met Key at a tech hiring event. I was impressed by how supportive and community-oriented everyone was. Early in my career, Key seemed like a comfortable environment to learn and develop. I also noticed that Key's tech team members focused on modernization and building better systems. I shared that focus on continuous improvement and using new tech. There was a lot of energy around getting away from outdated systems, and I wanted to play a role in that.

Is there an interesting project you are working on now?

Most of my team's projects are focused on modernization, rewriting our services, and UI. My team is planning a complete redesign of our application soon. I'm passionate about creating a better user experience. The work we are doing right now will improve both our front-end users' experience and the experience of the clients they interact with. They will have a cleaner, more seamless experience, and employees will be able to service clients much faster when we integrate many systems into our one-stop shop.

What has set you up for success?

Key has encouraged me to learn and grow. My manager encourages me in our 1:1s to learn more about what interests me, take time for training, and incorporate this back into my work. Even at the executive level, they encourage us to carve out time in our schedules for online courses and live training.

Also, leaders are inclusive and supportive. We have senior engineers learning new tech and new engineers just now learning to code – anyone can find their fit and find support in areas where they want to pursue growth, regardless of their level. I am confident that I will voice my interests and pursue them.

What type of employee thrives in your role?

Someone who wants to learn continuously – there is always something new to discover in tech. Our team members can learn independently and collaborate with others to pursue new knowledge. Also, the ability to work well with others is essential. There's a lot of collaboration and communication daily.

Tell me about a typical day for you.

We use Agile methodology and have daily standups to discuss who's working on what and what issues we are tackling. Sometimes I need to do independent coding and unit testing. Otherwise, I attend requirements meetings or technical meetings. We follow 4-week sprints with planning and refinement at the beginning and retrospective meetings at the end.