Post by Isidora Nikolić 
July 31, 2024 | 
Have you ever wondered what motivates a tech professional to succeed in their field?
Working with the latest technology is important, but what often matters most is the sense of purpose one’s work brings to the industry and its users. In Dejan’s case, it’s a bit of both.
Dejan is an IT enthusiast and former military member who has developed a strong passion for the tech industry, particularly the React framework. He finds fulfillment in protecting systems and securing critical data, driven by his enthusiasm for IT and cybersecurity.
Let’s hear from him about the details of his journey and the insights he’s gained along the way.
What drew you to the field of React and cybersecurity?
Before my IT career, I served in the military for about six years. However, I’ve always enjoyed solving logical problems, and good logic is essential in the IT world. A good friend of mine started learning the basics of frontend development, so I joined him quite by chance and found myself enjoying the process. As I learned various technologies over time, I fell more and more in love with programming. I’ve always been proud of myself when I solve a problem and create something I imagine. I’m a self-taught developer, and working on some projects independently helped me land my first job.
Throughout my IT career, I have worked with many technologies, starting with jQuery and moving on to React and newer frameworks. While I am familiar with a few other front-end frameworks, I prefer using React the most.
What does a typical day look like for you in your role at BlueGrid?
At BlueGrid, every day is dynamic and interesting in its way. One of the great aspects is the flexible working hours, which allow me to organize my schedule to suit my needs, whether I’m working from home or the office. The tasks vary: sometimes it’s developing new features, other times it’s improving existing ones, or it might involve searching for and fixing bugs.
Daily duties also include code reviews to ensure code is always written legibly and according to the latest standards. This process is a kind of knowledge transfer that helps us to share knowledge between team members daily. Additionally, we have meetings where we present ideas for improving various processes and systems. We are always striving to be better and more productive.
What tech and non-tech skills do you find most useful in your day-to-day work?
Regarding technical skills, the most important is a solid knowledge of JavaScript, especially React, and the accompanying tools that are used in daily work. For soft skills, resourcefulness is crucial, particularly the ability to search the Internet and document effectively. It’s not necessary to memorize countless small details; instead, a developer should be able to find good and reliable sources when needed.
In addition, the developer must possess qualities such as communication skills, teamwork, creativity, and self-discipline (especially when it comes to working from home). Also, the desire for continuous learning and continuous improvement plays a big role in becoming a good developer, as well as seeing the bigger picture and thinking outside the box! If you develop or already possess these skills, you will be a successful programmer and a valued member of any team!
What tools and technologies do you use the most?
At BlueGrid we follow the latest technologies and keep up with them. I like that part of constant improvement a lot.
I can divide the tools and technologies I use into several categories.
The editor I use and prefer is Visual Studio Code, as it supports many plugins that make navigation easier and code writing faster.
For debugging, I use Chrome DevTools and React Developer Tools to inspect the component hierarchy and track props. The choice of package manager depends on the project, but I prefer Yarn.
For state management, I use the context API, and for routing, I use the most popular react-router library. CSS is written using styled components library, a theme is always created and values are used to avoid hard-coded values and to be able to maintain the code more easily.
For code tracking, I use GitLab, which offers a lot of good functionality regarding automatic builds.
If you could switch roles with anyone on your team for a day, who would it be and why?
I think that’s a great question. Alongside my work in frontend development, I’m also very interested in backend technologies and spend a lot of my free time learning about them. I’m particularly interested in Node.js, so I’d love to swap roles with a backend developer to see what their daily routine is like and understand their responsibilities and tasks. I believe it would be quite an interesting experience for me.
Speaking of the team, what do you enjoy the most? Why would someone find it interesting to join your team?
When we talk about the team, I can say that communication is crucial and excellent. Working from the office is always a nice and quality time spent. Perhaps the most important thing, besides the fact that colleagues are top experts, is that they are good people who are always there to help both on a business and private level. A day spent in the office with them is always an enjoyable, positive day filled with laughter and great company. Anyone who joins the team will quickly experience a true team spirit, with people who are always willing to support, share knowledge, and lend a hand. It’s truly wonderful to work with such reliable and supportive individuals.
How does working in cybersecurity differ from other tech industries you’ve been involved with?
While developers in other industries focus on improving the functionality and performance of applications, a cybersecurity developer must continuously monitor security threats and vulnerabilities, and regularly update the application to defend against new attacks. This includes following security news, using security tools and scanners, and implementing the latest security patches and recommendations. Also, a cybersecurity developer must be aware of the ethical and legal aspects of working with sensitive data. This includes ensuring user privacy, implementing data security policies, and adhering to legal requirements and industry standards. Developers use tools for the development, testing, and optimization of interfaces. In cybersecurity, they use specialized security tools and must have additional skills and knowledge to ensure that applications are safe and compliant with security standards.
What’s your favorite thing about working in this role? What keeps you motivated?
My favorite thing about working in cybersecurity is the constant challenge of staying ahead of evolving threats and protecting valuable data.
What keeps me motivated is the knowledge that my work helps safeguard critical information and systems, making a real impact on keeping organizations and individuals secure.
Outside of work, you’re into camping. Do you have any favorite camping spots you’d recommend?
As for camping and staying in nature, I am always happy to recommend Fruška Gora, which is not far away from Belgrade and you can see their beautiful forest, and feel fresh air. I would recommend everyone visit it and spend a few days there. There is nothing better than waking up to the sound of nature.
What advice would you give to someone aiming to become a React Developer in Cybersecurity?
Becoming a React developer with a focus on cybersecurity is a unique and valuable combination of skills. Firstly, it’s crucial to build a strong foundation in React. Start by mastering JavaScript and ensuring you have a deep understanding of its fundamentals.
Next, dive into React itself. Learn the core concepts thoroughly, such as components, props, state, and lifecycle methods. Become proficient with React hooks like useState, useEffect, and useContext, as they are pivotal for managing state and side effects in functional components. Additionally, familiarize yourself with state management techniques using Context API, Redux, or MobX.
It’s also important to develop UI/UX skills. Learn how to create responsive and user-friendly interfaces. Understanding the basics of design principles and user experience will help you build secure and intuitive interfaces, which is especially crucial in cybersecurity-focused applications. Simultaneously, gaining cybersecurity knowledge is essential.
Start with understanding web security fundamentals. Learn about common web vulnerabilities such as XSS (Cross-Site Scripting), CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery), and SQL Injection, and how to prevent them. Studying the OWASP Top Ten security risks will give you a solid understanding of the most critical security concerns for web applications. Additionally, focus on secure coding practices. Always validate and sanitize user inputs to prevent injection attacks. Understanding the role of Web Application Firewalls (WAF) can also be beneficial.
In conclusion, becoming a React developer with a focus on cybersecurity requires a blend of strong React development skills and a solid understanding of cybersecurity principles. By mastering JavaScript and React, developing UI/UX skills, and gaining comprehensive knowledge of web security and secure coding practices, you’ll be well-equipped to build secure and effective web applications.
Do you have any favorite resources or learning paths for new developers?
There are so many sources of knowledge available on the internet today. My favorite learning platform is Udemy and I think that it is also suitable for people who are just entering the world of programming. The courses are categorized according to the level of knowledge, and the great thing is that many of them involve projects, making the course engaging to watch. Most importantly for developers, the hands-on coding experience is invaluable. As for free resources, I think freeCodeCamp is one of the better platforms.
