Over the past thirty years, we’ve seen web developers become an increasingly essential role for brands of all sizes, playing a key role in supporting companies as they adjust to a digital-first customer engagement landscape. But while nearly all of us benefit from their work, far fewer really understand what the role requires.

Whether you’re considering a career as a web developer or just curious what the job looks like here at Braze, the first question you may find yourself asking is: “What does a typical day in his role look like?” The truth is, web developers face a variety of challenges during their day-to-day work, from troubleshooting issues to writing code for the newest website update...and no two days are the same. To gain a better understanding of this important role, we sat down with Ashley Baird, Web Developer here at Braze, to take a dive into what a typical day looks like for her.

Braze: Can you tell us a little about your role?

Ashley: I am a Web Developer under the Marketing Operations team. My primary role is to keep our website—braze.com—up and running. A large part of my day is spent ensuring optimization, so that our visitors have the best user experience, and sorting through my Asana board to properly prioritize feature requests or bugs that need to be addressed. Other aspects include collaborating with different teams within marketing to discuss site enhancements as well as coding to make these features come to life.

Braze: What has working at Braze been like for you?

Ashley: I started working at Braze during this work from home (WFH) period. Before I started, I worried about finding my place in a remote organization. Luckily, everyone who I have met at Braze has greeted me with open arms. I have felt as though everyone I have met is willing to go out of their way to make me feel included, which has helped me step out of my comfort zone more than I normally would. The thing I appreciate most about Braze is that there is a space for me to think creatively and to be able to test new improvements that I want to make to the code structure. It’s been hard to find that at other jobs, so I consider myself lucky to be where I am.

Braze: Tell us about the fun stuff. What do you do to take a break during the day? Are you team music? No music? Podcast? Do you participate in any clubs or employee resource groups (ERGs) at Braze?

Ashley: I am definitely a team music fan! There is nothing like trying to find a playlist to fit my mood of the day. When my attention span starts to drop, I usually walk a little bit around the apartment to clear my thoughts and refocus again.

As for Braze activities, I am a part of the Black at Braze ERG. This group has been helpful to allow me a space to be able to express myself honestly. I especially valued this group of allies during the hard times that happened over the summer; it was nice to be able to talk with others who were struggling as much as I was.

As we look ahead to a more hopeful 2021, Braze is fortunate to be in the position to keep growing our teams and welcoming new faces worldwide. We are particularly excited to welcome a new Senior Web Developer to our Marketing Operations team. If that is you, or someone you know, we encourage you to check out our job postings on braze.com/careers to apply.