At Erxes, we strongly believe in the power of collaboration and teamwork. We recognize that every team member brings unique skills and perspectives that contribute to our company’s success. We’re excited to bring interviews with our team members to showcase our team’s diverse talents and share their stories. Today we had the pleasure of talking with Sarangerel Davaasambuu, our talented, youngest backend intern, to talk about her experiences and journey.

The Interview

To start off our conversation, could you please introduce yourself and provide us with some background information about your education, work experience, and any relevant projects or accomplishments? We’d love to get to know you better and understand your journey so far.

I’m excited to be able to share my story with you. I’m a third-year National University of Mongolia student studying information systems. When I first chose this major, I wasn’t particularly interested in coding and chose this major because I wanted to avoid coding, but fate had other plans for me 👀. Recently, I landed a position as a backend developer intern at erxes inc, and it’s been an enriching experience. I’ve learned so much and grown so much as a developer. Being able to work on real projects and contribute to a growing open-source community has been both challenging and fulfilling. I have found my calling in this field and am excited to see where it takes me.

That’s awesome to hear! You’re clearly a talented individual to be able to juggle school and work so efficiently. Can you tell us when you first got started with open source development?

Sure thing! I joined erxes during the “Bootcamp to Work 2022,” a 3-month program for university students to work on digital solutions to automate the operations of Mongolia’s top companies 🤩. It was an excellent opportunity to improve my skills and knowledge while working on real-world projects. I was part of a team of 5 members working on the “Assets” plugin as a backend developer, and that’s where my journey into the world of coding began. There were many struggles since it was a whole new industry. Luckily, I had a great mentor Gerelsukh Batbayar, who told me that coding isn’t only about codes; it starts with empathy, so setting the fundamentals right is essential to understand what we were trying to automate. It helped me to see coding in a bigger picture and to find a fondness for coding. When I saw our developed “Assets” plugin being available on both open source and SaaS, honestly speaking I was a little proud of myself. From no coding skills creating something that fully functions and facilitates people’s work was an achievement, and it encouraged me to develop something even better✨. That is also why I wanted to continue working with erxes as an intern even though the program was over.

We are grateful to have you in our team and it is very inspiring to hear your journey till here. Now, let’s dive into more technical stuff. As a developer, how do you feel about working on open source projects? Do you enjoy the collaborative and community-driven aspect of open source development?

To be honest, I wasn’t really aware of how open source worked when I first started 😅. But as I’ve continued to work on projects and contribute to the community, I’ve come to appreciate its collaborative and community-driven nature. Open source provides an opportunity to learn from others, work on existing codes, and give back to the community. It’s also great for junior developers like myself because it saves time and prevents us from making the same mistakes. Another significant aspect of open source is that it encourages collaboration and innovation 🙌. We can build better and more efficient software by sharing code and collaborating with others. It is impressive to see how a single project can evolve and improve as more people get involved and contribute their expertise. 

Contributing to open source and giving back to the community was also important as a developer. Open source also allows me to learn and work on existing codes. Аs a curious person, seeing how other developers write their codes is very interesting and inspiring. Additionally, since I’m a junior developer, I made many mistakes. Still, codes available on open source will help other junior developers avoid repeating my mistakes and save their time ⏰.

It’s interesting to hear your perspectives on open source. As you’ve mentioned making mistakes, I’m curious about how you maintain your motivation after encountering setbacks. What advice would you offer fellow developers and individuals beginning to learn to code?

Motivation is crucial to success, much like a bird cannot fly without wings 🕊️. Working alongside talented and skillful colleagues has encouraged me to push myself even harder. While I enjoyed my time as a manga painter, the experience was not comparable to working at erxes Inc. At erxes, I feel included and supported by my colleagues, and I know I can always count on them for help when needed 👐. That’s why I’m thrilled to continue working at erxes beyond the “Bootcamp to Work 2022” and contribute to the open source community while learning from my colleagues.

That being said, there will be times when you may feel stuck or discouraged. During those moments, taking a break and doing things you enjoy is essential. Whether taking a walk outside, reading a book, or spending time with loved ones, prioritize self-care and recharging 💆. Then, when you’re ready, you can restart with a renewed sense of focus and determination. Remember, every journey has ups and downs, but with hard work and perseverance, you can overcome any obstacle and achieve your goals.

It was a pleasure speaking with you and learning more about your journey into the world of coding and open source development. Your dedication and passion for the field are truly inspiring, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.