My Journey as a Full-Stack Developer at Chedri Automotive

From April 2021 to November 2024, I had the privilege of working as a full-stack developer at Chedri Automotive, where I was instrumental in developing and enhancing the company's digital infrastructure. My role encompassed a wide range of responsibilities that challenged me to grow both technically and professionally.

Technical Stack and Development

On the frontend, I leveraged React to create dynamic and responsive user interfaces. One of my significant achievements was implementing a sophisticated React Drag and Drop (D'n'D) functionality for the Content Management System (CMS), which dramatically improved the user interaction with tree-structured elements. This implementation not only enhanced user experience but also demonstrated the power of intuitive UI/UX design principles.

The backend was predominantly built using Symfony, which provided a robust and scalable framework for our automotive software solutions. By carefully structuring the application's architecture, I ensured clean, maintainable, and efficient code that could easily accommodate future expansions and modifications.

React Expertise and Modernization

Throughout my tenure, I demonstrated deep expertise in React development patterns and best practices. A significant portion of my work involved modernizing the codebase by refactoring class components to functional components, leveraging React hooks for better state management and side effects handling. My comprehensive understanding of React patterns allowed me to implement clean, reusable components while maintaining optimal performance and code readability.

AI-Enhanced Development

In 2023, I began incorporating GitHub Copilot into my development workflow, which marked a significant leap in development efficiency. The AI assistant proved invaluable for routine coding tasks, boilerplate generation, and even complex algorithm implementation. By leveraging Copilot's capabilities, I significantly increased my development pace while maintaining high code quality standards. This tool particularly excelled in helping me write comprehensive test cases and generating repetitive code patterns, allowing me to focus more on architecture decisions and complex problem-solving.

Team Culture and Remote Work

One of the most rewarding aspects of working at Chedri Automotive was being part of a close-knit, highly collaborative core team. The strong bonds we formed extended beyond professional relationships, and I'm proud to say that many of my colleagues became good friends whom I stay in touch with to this day. Our team culture was built on mutual trust and respect, which made remote work not just possible but highly effective.

The company's flexible remote work policy allowed us to maintain an excellent work-life balance. A particular highlight was spending a month working from the beautiful island of Madeira, demonstrating how our trust-based culture and robust remote work infrastructure enabled team members to work effectively from anywhere. This flexibility never compromised our productivity or team cohesion; if anything, it enhanced our creativity and job satisfaction.

Security and Best Practices

A critical aspect of my role involved conducting comprehensive security audits and penetration testing. I remained vigilant about the latest security vulnerabilities and patches, implementing proactive measures to protect our digital assets. This approach was crucial in maintaining the integrity and safety of our automotive software systems.

Professional Growth and Learning

During my tenure, I significantly expanded my technical skill set:

- Introduced Storybook for component development and documentation

- Implemented Cypress for end-to-end testing, ensuring solid and reliable application performance

- Refined my understanding of component architecture by adopting dumb/presentational component patterns

- Improved application structure by implementing more organized folder and file management strategies

Conclusion

My time at Chedri Automotive was a transformative period of professional development, where I not only contributed to cutting-edge automotive software solutions but also continuously evolved as a full-stack developer.