[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":571},["ShallowReactive",2],{"navigation":3,"about":14,"mdc--nz1sie-key":27},[4],{"title":5,"path":6,"stem":7,"children":8,"page":13},"Blog","/blog","blog",[9],{"title":10,"path":11,"stem":12},"My Experience as a Junior Software Engineer (First Year)","/blog/my-experience-as-a-junior-software-engineer","blog/my-experience-as-a-junior-software-engineer",false,{"id":15,"title":16,"body":17,"content":18,"description":19,"extension":20,"images":17,"meta":21,"navigation":22,"path":23,"seo":24,"stem":25,"__hash__":26},"about/about.yml","About Me",null,"# FROM MOVIE HACKERS TO REAL CODE\n## How curiosity turned into a career building tools that actually work\n\nIt started with movies. You know the scenes—hackers typing furiously, \ngreen text flying across black screens, breaking into systems with a \nfew keystrokes. I saw that and thought: \"I want to learn how to do that.\"\nTurns out, real development is less Hollywood drama and more problem-solving. \nBut the excitement? That stuck.\nNow, two years into my career as a Software Engineer, I'm not hacking into \nsystems—I'm building them. CRM platforms managing 100+ campaigns. Page \nbuilders empowering content teams. High-performance websites serving \nthousands of users.\nAnd honestly? It's way more satisfying than anything I saw in those movies.\n\n---\n\n## THE JOURNEY\n\n**I'm Aaron Ruben S. Bartolome**, a Software Engineer working remotely from \nCalbayog City, Philippines, specializing in Vue.js and Nuxt.js.\nI graduated with a degree in Information Technology from Northwest Samar \nState University in 2024. During my last year of college, I discovered AI \ntools like Claude and ChatGPT—not to replace learning, but to accelerate it. \nThat decision shaped how I work today.\nSince joining **Summit Media** in February 2024 (intern → junior engineer → \nbuilding production systems), \\\nI've:\n\n- Built an **enterprise CRM** managing 100+ advertising campaigns with complex \n  status-driven actions and real-time synchronization\n- Created a **dynamic page builder** with 15+ components that cut content \n  creation time by 50%\n- Modernized **multiple company websites** with 25%+ PageSpeed improvements\n\nBut here's what matters most: **I build tools that make people's jobs easier.**\nThe CRM helps sales teams close deals faster. The page builder gives writers \ncreative freedom. That's what drives me—not just writing code, but solving \nreal problems.\n\n---\n## HOW I ACTUALLY WORK\n\n### 🤖 AI-Enhanced Learning (And I'm Not Hiding It)\n\nI use Claude and ChatGPT extensively. Started in college, still use them daily.\nBut here's the thing: I don't just copy-paste solutions. I ask AI to explain \nthe \"why\" behind patterns, then make sure I genuinely understand before \nimplementing. This lets me:\n\n- Learn faster without sacrificing depth\n- Get multiple perspectives on solving problems\n- Debug complex issues by discussing approaches\n- Stay current with best practices\n\n**AI is my learning accelerator, not my crutch.**\n\n### ⚡ Thriving Under Pressure\n\nThere's something about tight deadlines that puts me **in the zone**.\nWhen my team lead said \"Build this CRM, you're solo, deadline's tight\"—I felt \nexcited, not scared. That pressure sharpens my focus. I stop overthinking and \nstart building.\nMaybe it's adrenaline. Maybe it's competitive drive. Either way, I've learned \nI do my best work when the stakes are high and the clock is ticking.\n\n### 🧹 Code Like Someone's Reading\n\nI write code for the developer who comes after me (often future-me at 2am \ndebugging).\nEven under pressure, I prioritize:\n- Meaningful variable and component names\n- Clear state structure and data flow\n- Comments on complex logic (especially business rules)\n\nWhy? Because I've debugged messy code. I've untangled spaghetti logic someone \nrushed. I refuse to create that pain for others.\n**Clean code takes 10% more time upfront and saves hours later.**\n\n### 🎯 Frontend Today, Full-Stack Tomorrow\n\nConfession: **I actually want to do backend more than frontend.**\nBut I learned frontend first, and my job needed frontend skills, so I went \ndeep into Vue.js and Nuxt.js. And honestly? I love the immediate visual \nfeedback—seeing what you build come to life in the browser is satisfying.\nBut I keep asking: \"How does the backend handle this API call? Could we sync \ndata better? What's happening in the database?\" \\\nSo now I'm learning:\n- Node.js and Express.js\n- MySQL and MongoDB\n- API design and database architecture\n\n**My goal:** Build full-stack applications, maybe even a SaaS product, \ncompletely on my own. I want to understand the entire system—from database \nqueries to UI interactions.\n\n---\n\n## THE MISTAKES THAT MADE ME BETTER\n\nThat CRM project I mentioned? I made **so many mistakes**.\n\n- Overcomplicated state management in some areas\n- Could've abstracted repeated patterns better\n- Learned about edge cases the hard way (production bugs are great teachers)\n\nBut here's what I realized: **Mistakes are just expensive lessons.**\nAfter finishing that project, I didn't feel defeated—I felt more confident. \nBecause now I have battle scars. I know what works and what doesn't. I can \nspot potential issues before they become production problems.\nThat experience—building something complex with zero prior knowledge—taught \nme I can figure things out. And that confidence is worth more than perfect code.\n\n---\n\n## BEYOND THE CODE\n\nWhen I'm not building web applications, you'll find me:\\\n🏃 **Running** - I'm active in local running events. It keeps my body strong \nand my mind clear. There's something meditative about a good run that helps \nme solve coding problems I've been stuck on.\\\n💻 **Learning New Tech** - Always exploring. Currently diving into backend \ndevelopment, but I'm curious about everything from new frameworks to system \ndesign patterns.\nThe running might seem unrelated to coding, but it's not. Both require:\n- Consistency over intensity\n- Pushing through when it gets hard\n- Celebrating small progress\n- Understanding that growth takes time\n\n---\n\n## WHAT DRIVES ME\n\n**I want to build projects that actually help people's workflows.**\nNot just \"another CRUD app\" or \"a clone of X.\" I want to create tools that make \nsomeone say: \"This saved me 3 hours today\" or \"I can finally do this myself.\"\nThat's why the page builder project excites me—writers who used to wait on \ndevelopers can now create custom layouts independently. That's **real impact**.\nThat's the kind of software I want to keep building.\n\n---\n\n## WHERE I'M HEADED\n\n**Right now:** Frontend specialist building production applications\\\n**Learning:** Backend development—Node.js, Express, databases—to become a \ntrue full-stack developer\\\n**2-year goal:** Senior Developer position where I can mentor others while \nbuilding complex, high-impact systems\\\n**Dream:** Build a SaaS product that solves real workflow problems (maybe for \ncontent teams, maybe for sales teams—industries I now understand)\n\n---\n\n## LET'S CONNECT\n\nI'm always open to talking with:\n- Fellow developers exploring Vue.js or full-stack development\n- Teams building tools that solve real problems\n- Anyone curious about AI-enhanced development workflows\n- Companies that value clean code and fast learners\n\n**Want to discuss:**\n- How to thrive under tight deadlines?\n- AI tools for accelerated learning?\n- Vue.js + Nuxt.js architecture patterns?\n- The journey from frontend to full-stack?\n\n\n---\n\n*P.S. — Those movie hackers that inspired me? They got one thing right: \nbuilding software is powerful. But the real power isn't in breaking systems—\nit's in building ones that help people do their jobs better.*\n\n\n---\n","Learn more about my journey as a Software Engineer based in Calbayog City, Philippines, my technical expertise, and my passion for building scalable web applications.","yml",{},true,"/about",{"title":16,"description":19},"about","ErD1zzcT_8i_DsnatJe5ct6SQVcbU7tCO_yx-ivbcv8",{"data":28,"body":29},{},{"type":30,"children":31},"root",[32,41,48,54,58,64,88,129,141,144,150,157,162,185,193,199,211,217,222,240,250,256,273,291,301,304,310,322,340,352,355,361,390,413,416,422,439,442,448,488,491,497,502,525,533,556,559,568],{"type":33,"tag":34,"props":35,"children":37},"element","h1",{"id":36},"from-movie-hackers-to-real-code",[38],{"type":39,"value":40},"text","FROM MOVIE HACKERS TO REAL CODE",{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":43,"children":45},"h2",{"id":44},"how-curiosity-turned-into-a-career-building-tools-that-actually-work",[46],{"type":39,"value":47},"How curiosity turned into a career building tools that actually work",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":50,"children":51},"p",{},[52],{"type":39,"value":53},"It started with movies. You know the scenes—hackers typing furiously,\ngreen text flying across black screens, breaking into systems with a\nfew keystrokes. I saw that and thought: \"I want to learn how to do that.\"\nTurns out, real development is less Hollywood drama and more problem-solving.\nBut the excitement? That stuck.\nNow, two years into my career as a Software Engineer, I'm not hacking into\nsystems—I'm building them. CRM platforms managing 100+ campaigns. Page\nbuilders empowering content teams. High-performance websites serving\nthousands of users.\nAnd honestly? It's way more satisfying than anything I saw in those movies.",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":56,"children":57},"hr",{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":59,"children":61},{"id":60},"the-journey",[62],{"type":39,"value":63},"THE JOURNEY",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":65,"children":66},{},[67,73,75,80,82,86],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":69,"children":70},"strong",{},[71],{"type":39,"value":72},"I'm Aaron Ruben S. Bartolome",{"type":39,"value":74},", a Software Engineer working remotely from\nCalbayog City, Philippines, specializing in Vue.js and Nuxt.js.\nI graduated with a degree in Information Technology from Northwest Samar\nState University in 2024. During my last year of college, I discovered AI\ntools like Claude and ChatGPT—not to replace learning, but to accelerate it.\nThat decision shaped how I work today.\nSince joining ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":76,"children":77},{},[78],{"type":39,"value":79},"Summit Media",{"type":39,"value":81}," in February 2024 (intern → junior engineer →\nbuilding production systems), ",{"type":33,"tag":83,"props":84,"children":85},"br",{},[],{"type":39,"value":87},"\nI've:",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":90,"children":91},"ul",{},[92,105,117],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":94,"children":95},"li",{},[96,98,103],{"type":39,"value":97},"Built an ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":99,"children":100},{},[101],{"type":39,"value":102},"enterprise CRM",{"type":39,"value":104}," managing 100+ advertising campaigns with complex\nstatus-driven actions and real-time synchronization",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":106,"children":107},{},[108,110,115],{"type":39,"value":109},"Created a ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":111,"children":112},{},[113],{"type":39,"value":114},"dynamic page builder",{"type":39,"value":116}," with 15+ components that cut content\ncreation time by 50%",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":118,"children":119},{},[120,122,127],{"type":39,"value":121},"Modernized ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":123,"children":124},{},[125],{"type":39,"value":126},"multiple company websites",{"type":39,"value":128}," with 25%+ PageSpeed improvements",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":130,"children":131},{},[132,134,139],{"type":39,"value":133},"But here's what matters most: ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":135,"children":136},{},[137],{"type":39,"value":138},"I build tools that make people's jobs easier.",{"type":39,"value":140},"\nThe CRM helps sales teams close deals faster. The page builder gives writers\ncreative freedom. That's what drives me—not just writing code, but solving\nreal problems.",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":142,"children":143},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":145,"children":147},{"id":146},"how-i-actually-work",[148],{"type":39,"value":149},"HOW I ACTUALLY WORK",{"type":33,"tag":151,"props":152,"children":154},"h3",{"id":153},"ai-enhanced-learning-and-im-not-hiding-it",[155],{"type":39,"value":156},"🤖 AI-Enhanced Learning (And I'm Not Hiding It)",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":158,"children":159},{},[160],{"type":39,"value":161},"I use Claude and ChatGPT extensively. Started in college, still use them daily.\nBut here's the thing: I don't just copy-paste solutions. I ask AI to explain\nthe \"why\" behind patterns, then make sure I genuinely understand before\nimplementing. 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That pressure sharpens my focus. I stop overthinking and\nstart building.\nMaybe it's adrenaline. Maybe it's competitive drive. Either way, I've learned\nI do my best work when the stakes are high and the clock is ticking.",{"type":33,"tag":151,"props":212,"children":214},{"id":213},"code-like-someones-reading",[215],{"type":39,"value":216},"🧹 Code Like Someone's Reading",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":218,"children":219},{},[220],{"type":39,"value":221},"I write code for the developer who comes after me (often future-me at 2am\ndebugging).\nEven under pressure, I prioritize:",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":223,"children":224},{},[225,230,235],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":226,"children":227},{},[228],{"type":39,"value":229},"Meaningful variable and component names",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":231,"children":232},{},[233],{"type":39,"value":234},"Clear state structure and data flow",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":236,"children":237},{},[238],{"type":39,"value":239},"Comments on complex logic (especially business rules)",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":241,"children":242},{},[243,245],{"type":39,"value":244},"Why? Because I've debugged messy code. I've untangled spaghetti logic someone\nrushed. I refuse to create that pain for others.\n",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":246,"children":247},{},[248],{"type":39,"value":249},"Clean code takes 10% more time upfront and saves hours later.",{"type":33,"tag":151,"props":251,"children":253},{"id":252},"frontend-today-full-stack-tomorrow",[254],{"type":39,"value":255},"🎯 Frontend Today, Full-Stack Tomorrow",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":257,"children":258},{},[259,261,266,268,271],{"type":39,"value":260},"Confession: ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":262,"children":263},{},[264],{"type":39,"value":265},"I actually want to do backend more than frontend.",{"type":39,"value":267},"\nBut I learned frontend first, and my job needed frontend skills, so I went\ndeep into Vue.js and Nuxt.js. And honestly? I love the immediate visual\nfeedback—seeing what you build come to life in the browser is satisfying.\nBut I keep asking: \"How does the backend handle this API call? Could we sync\ndata better? What's happening in the database?\" ",{"type":33,"tag":83,"props":269,"children":270},{},[],{"type":39,"value":272},"\nSo now I'm learning:",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":274,"children":275},{},[276,281,286],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":277,"children":278},{},[279],{"type":39,"value":280},"Node.js and Express.js",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":282,"children":283},{},[284],{"type":39,"value":285},"MySQL and MongoDB",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":287,"children":288},{},[289],{"type":39,"value":290},"API design and database architecture",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":292,"children":293},{},[294,299],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":295,"children":296},{},[297],{"type":39,"value":298},"My goal:",{"type":39,"value":300}," Build full-stack applications, maybe even a SaaS product,\ncompletely on my own. I want to understand the entire system—from database\nqueries to UI interactions.",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":302,"children":303},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":305,"children":307},{"id":306},"the-mistakes-that-made-me-better",[308],{"type":39,"value":309},"THE MISTAKES THAT MADE ME BETTER",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":311,"children":312},{},[313,315,320],{"type":39,"value":314},"That CRM project I mentioned? I made ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":316,"children":317},{},[318],{"type":39,"value":319},"so many mistakes",{"type":39,"value":321},".",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":323,"children":324},{},[325,330,335],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":326,"children":327},{},[328],{"type":39,"value":329},"Overcomplicated state management in some areas",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":331,"children":332},{},[333],{"type":39,"value":334},"Could've abstracted repeated patterns better",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":336,"children":337},{},[338],{"type":39,"value":339},"Learned about edge cases the hard way (production bugs are great teachers)",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":341,"children":342},{},[343,345,350],{"type":39,"value":344},"But here's what I realized: ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":346,"children":347},{},[348],{"type":39,"value":349},"Mistakes are just expensive lessons.",{"type":39,"value":351},"\nAfter finishing that project, I didn't feel defeated—I felt more confident.\nBecause now I have battle scars. I know what works and what doesn't. I can\nspot potential issues before they become production problems.\nThat experience—building something complex with zero prior knowledge—taught\nme I can figure things out. And that confidence is worth more than perfect code.",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":353,"children":354},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":356,"children":358},{"id":357},"beyond-the-code",[359],{"type":39,"value":360},"BEYOND THE CODE",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":362,"children":363},{},[364,366,369,371,376,378,381,383,388],{"type":39,"value":365},"When I'm not building web applications, you'll find me:",{"type":33,"tag":83,"props":367,"children":368},{},[],{"type":39,"value":370},"\n🏃 ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":372,"children":373},{},[374],{"type":39,"value":375},"Running",{"type":39,"value":377}," - I'm active in local running events. It keeps my body strong\nand my mind clear. 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Both require:",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":391,"children":392},{},[393,398,403,408],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":394,"children":395},{},[396],{"type":39,"value":397},"Consistency over intensity",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":399,"children":400},{},[401],{"type":39,"value":402},"Pushing through when it gets hard",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":404,"children":405},{},[406],{"type":39,"value":407},"Celebrating small progress",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":409,"children":410},{},[411],{"type":39,"value":412},"Understanding that growth takes time",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":414,"children":415},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":417,"children":419},{"id":418},"what-drives-me",[420],{"type":39,"value":421},"WHAT DRIVES ME",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":423,"children":424},{},[425,430,432,437],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":426,"children":427},{},[428],{"type":39,"value":429},"I want to build projects that actually help people's workflows.",{"type":39,"value":431},"\nNot just \"another CRUD app\" or \"a clone of X.\" I want to create tools that make\nsomeone say: \"This saved me 3 hours today\" or \"I can finally do this myself.\"\nThat's why the page builder project excites me—writers who used to wait on\ndevelopers can now create custom layouts independently. That's ",{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":433,"children":434},{},[435],{"type":39,"value":436},"real impact",{"type":39,"value":438},".\nThat's the kind of software I want to keep building.",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":440,"children":441},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":443,"children":445},{"id":444},"where-im-headed",[446],{"type":39,"value":447},"WHERE I'M HEADED",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":449,"children":450},{},[451,456,458,461,466,468,471,476,478,481,486],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":452,"children":453},{},[454],{"type":39,"value":455},"Right now:",{"type":39,"value":457}," Frontend specialist building production applications",{"type":33,"tag":83,"props":459,"children":460},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":462,"children":463},{},[464],{"type":39,"value":465},"Learning:",{"type":39,"value":467}," Backend development—Node.js, Express, databases—to become a\ntrue full-stack developer",{"type":33,"tag":83,"props":469,"children":470},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":472,"children":473},{},[474],{"type":39,"value":475},"2-year goal:",{"type":39,"value":477}," Senior Developer position where I can mentor others while\nbuilding complex, high-impact systems",{"type":33,"tag":83,"props":479,"children":480},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":482,"children":483},{},[484],{"type":39,"value":485},"Dream:",{"type":39,"value":487}," Build a SaaS product that solves real workflow problems (maybe for\ncontent teams, maybe for sales teams—industries I now understand)",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":489,"children":490},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":42,"props":492,"children":494},{"id":493},"lets-connect",[495],{"type":39,"value":496},"LET'S CONNECT",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":498,"children":499},{},[500],{"type":39,"value":501},"I'm always open to talking with:",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":503,"children":504},{},[505,510,515,520],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":506,"children":507},{},[508],{"type":39,"value":509},"Fellow developers exploring Vue.js or full-stack development",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":511,"children":512},{},[513],{"type":39,"value":514},"Teams building tools that solve real problems",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":516,"children":517},{},[518],{"type":39,"value":519},"Anyone curious about AI-enhanced development workflows",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":521,"children":522},{},[523],{"type":39,"value":524},"Companies that value clean code and fast learners",{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":526,"children":527},{},[528],{"type":33,"tag":68,"props":529,"children":530},{},[531],{"type":39,"value":532},"Want to discuss:",{"type":33,"tag":89,"props":534,"children":535},{},[536,541,546,551],{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":537,"children":538},{},[539],{"type":39,"value":540},"How to thrive under tight deadlines?",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":542,"children":543},{},[544],{"type":39,"value":545},"AI tools for accelerated learning?",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":547,"children":548},{},[549],{"type":39,"value":550},"Vue.js + Nuxt.js architecture patterns?",{"type":33,"tag":93,"props":552,"children":553},{},[554],{"type":39,"value":555},"The journey from frontend to full-stack?",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":557,"children":558},{},[],{"type":33,"tag":49,"props":560,"children":561},{},[562],{"type":33,"tag":563,"props":564,"children":565},"em",{},[566],{"type":39,"value":567},"P.S. — Those movie hackers that inspired me? They got one thing right:\nbuilding software is powerful. But the real power isn't in breaking systems—\nit's in building ones that help people do their jobs better.",{"type":33,"tag":55,"props":569,"children":570},{},[],1782865071012]