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Today, we are exploring Cristian Raducanu’s journey from a high school artist to a Web Competency Lead. With a background in Automatics and Computer Science, Cristian transitioned from animation to network administration and eventually to web development, embracing the evolution from Flash to modern JavaScript. Outside of his professional life, he channels his creativity into drumming and recording music, showcasing his talents and his love for blending art with technology.

Get a glimpse of #BehindTheCode to discover Cristian’s impressive career as a Web Competency Lead. His dedication to innovation drives his ambition to contribute to the community and share his passion for front-end development.

 

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?  

In high school, I had a strong passion for drawing beside my interest in Mathematics and Physics.This led me to work for a while in a cartoon animation studio, not only to explore my artistic side but also to earn some money. This experience inspired me to consider studying Architecture in college. However, in the end, my love for the sciences won, and I chose to study Automatics and Computer Science at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.

After finishing college, I worked for a few years as a network administrator, first in the warehouse of a telecom operator and later for an automotive company. While doing this, I couldn’t stay away from animation, so I began exploring it further by working with Macromedia Flash. One thing led to another, and I started doing freelance work for various clients, initially using Flash, then ActionScript in Flash, and eventually creating small websites during the days when Internet Explorer dominated the browser world and caused us, developers, a lot of headaches.

As time passed, Flash slowly died and was replaced by JavaScript and modern browsers, which I naturally transitioned to. I continued to focus on front-end development, because I enjoy seeing the results of the things I create.

 

What do you do at GlobalLogic? Please describe your career journey in GlobalLogic & your current role.  

I joined GlobalLogic as a Front-End Developer specializing in Angular. While I was on the bench initially, I decided to explore React to broaden my skill set. Because I wasn’t familiar with React in the context of a larger application, I joined an internal project to gain some hands-on experience. While React has its merits, I found myself not enjoying it as much as another framework I discovered later: Svelte.

I worked on a small project using Svelte for a few months, which was enough time for me to develop an appreciation for the SvelteKit framework. I liked how it is organized and how it facilitates both front-end and back-end development within a single application.

After completing the Svelte project, a small app designed to manage the internal configuration of a data and network provider, I returned to working with Angular on my current project. Regardless of the framework, I believe it’s crucial for a web developer to have a keen eye for detail to craft beautiful interfaces that users will love. 

As a Web Competency Lead, my responsibilities extend beyond development. I actively participate in GlobalLogic Romania’s JavaScript community meetings and provide mentorship to colleagues assigned to me, fostering their growth and enhancing our team members’ overall expertise. I am committed to putting in my best effort to ensure our projects meet the highest standards.

 

Tell us more about the project you’re currently working on. 

The current project I’m working on is for an insurance client. We’re building a browser-based application that consolidates and integrates several internal tools and services the client currently uses, deploying them onto a unified web platform. 

The application’s primary purpose is to enable the client’s employees to manage their portfolio of policies and related data through a web interface. This application is one of several similar web applications that collectively cover various areas of interest for the client.

 

What’s the project’s tech stack like?

The project utilizes Angular on the front end, along with AWS services. For testing, we use Jasmine and Karma for unit testing, and Cypress and WireMock for end-to-end testing. The application is an Angular app that leverages several internal libraries, mostly written in Angular as well. These libraries provide component functionalities and interfaces to interact with backend services, allowing them to be seamlessly integrated across different, yet similar applications.

 

What’s your favorite thing about this project? And what’s the most challenging one? 

The project is quite complex, and the development pace is fast, requiring a solid understanding of both the business logic and the tech stack. There are many components that need to be integrated seamlessly, which makes it essential to have a comprehensive grasp of various aspects of the application. However, this complexity is what makes the project both challenging and enjoyable, as I appreciate a good challenge from time to time.

It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve had to “set aside” some of the latest developments in some of the components, since the project uses (by client-agreed design) slightly older versions in some cases. However, we are hopeful that we’ll be able to upgrade soon and take advantage of the latest features and improvements.

 

How about the team? What’s the vibe in there? 

From my perspective, the people involved in the project are friendly and supportive, which creates a positive environment that encourages everyone to do their best. The team is diverse, with members from various nationalities, yet everyone understands their role and works together toward the common goal of delivering the agreed-upon features.

 The team is also very helpful, making it easy for me to “fit in” and quickly get answers to questions on topics I wasn’t familiar with when I needed them.

 

Tell us a little bit about your hobbies, how do you spend your free time?

My main hobby, which I suppose has turned into more than just a hobby, is drumming. Since college, I’ve played drums in a few bands, and we’ve recorded music and toured the country to promote it. When I manage to find some spare time, I like to spend it with my family and friends. I also enjoy playing sports like football, basketball, and others, which I try to do at least once a week.

 

What’s next in your career journey? 

When it comes to evolving my career, I make an effort to stay updated with the latest developments across different platforms, which can be quite challenging these days. At GlobalLogic, I’m also actively contributing to growing the community and spreading “the front-end love”.

 

What advice would you give to someone interested in joining GlobalLogic?

When I joined Fortech, I didn’t know anyone in the company. Throughout my journey here, including the transition to GlobalLogic, I’ve met quite nice people within the company and the communities I’ve joined.

These people are eager to share information about the tools they use and the work they do, which has been very helpful in giving me a better understanding of what’s going on around me. I believe anyone could benefit from this approach if they’re looking to take the next step in their career.