I’m Raul. 4 years ago I moved to Valencia with my girlfriend. I work as a front-end developer at PHPro. And when I’m not developing awesome e-commerce sites in Magento, I like to do all different kinds of sports like football, basketball, cross-fit, …

6 months ago I started working as front-end developer at the Valencia office of PHPro. I’m currently working for Arvesta, where we are building the new Magento webshop for Aveve. 

What did you do before you ended up at PHPro? 

Since I was a kid, I was interested in computers, so when I started college it was the obvious choice to study computer science. A friend of me, who was already working with Magento, introduced me to it and since then I got really interested in front-end development, especially in e-commerce environments. Magento is a tool that is mostly used in bigger companies and bigger e-commerce projects and that is what I like about Magento Commerce. Not only because it’s good for your resume that you can put the bigger clients on it, but especially because I’m building webshops that I am probably going to use myself. Or I will see those webshops online and I can say “I build that”!

In the past I worked for other Spanish development companies, where I was leading a team of developers. And since the beginning of 2022 I started working for PHPro. 

Welcome at PHPro Raul, glad to have you! How did you get to know PHPro? 

A friend of me, Jose, was already working here and he recommended the company so here I am  

How do you like it so far? 

I am really happy, although it was a big change for me. But I am really glad with choosing PHPro because I feel the company really cares about its employees. 

What were the biggest changes for you? 

First of all, there was the language barrier in the beginning and communication in general. Belgian people are more focused on the professional side of things. For example: Meetings are more efficient. A 15-minute meeting is a 15-minute meeting where everyone gets to the point immediately. Spanish meetings are often more chaotic. 

What do you like about working for PHPro? 

I really like their way of working. They have a very good methodology in place for getting things done. Everything is very clear and I always know what tickets I need to be working on and what is expected of me. The methodology really makes working together more easy and makes sure we deliver good quality results. 

They also use Grumphp, which is a tool that checks the quality of the code. So we are not only working efficiently, but we are sure the quality of our work is perfect. PHPro is a very efficient and transparant company and I like that. 
 

Have you already visited the offices in Belgium?

Yes, twice actually and I also went to my client Arvesta in Leuven. I really like the office in Kontich. It’s a very beautiful and spacious office. And the office in Hasselt at the Corda campus is impressive. It’s like a university campus but with companies. 

The people in Belgium do a lot of effort to make us feel welcome. When I come to the offices in Belgium there is always someone picking me up at the airport, taking us out for dinner and do something after work. And not only at PHPro, but also at my client Arvesta, the project manager really did everything to make us feel welcome and involve us in the team. 

But our office in Spain is not to be underestimated! Our office is really well located in the heart of Valencia! We are very close to a park that is 8km long! So there is a lot of green nearby. And it only takes 5 minutes by car to go to the beach! 

What does a typical day for you look like? 

Usually I start my day at 7am with checking e-mails, the Teams chat or Slack channel. Then we have our stand-up meeting. If I don’t have other meetings, I go check the tickets that are assigned to me in this sprint and start working on them. I usually end my workday at 3pm, so I still have time to enjoy my day and make time for my hobbies. 

What do you like the most about your job? 

Since I started working here I learned a lot. The projects I’m working on are much bigger than I’m used to. In the beginning it was challenging, but I like a challenge. It is such a good feeling that you are developing something really difficult, but you make it work and you know a lot of people will be using it. 

I also really like the fact that I am able to work for abroad companies and learn new things. 

What is your nicest work memory so far?

I really liked the Xplore Group summer event. It was such a nice location and such a cool event. But at PHPro Spain we try to organize a monthly team event. Sometimes we go bowling, or go to a restaurant. Last time we went jet-skiing and did a boat trip and watched the sunset! Really nice. 
 

It seems like you are enjoying yourself at PHPro Spain, would you therefore recommend the company to a friend? 

Yes definitely! I am actually trying to convince some friends as we speak! This company really offers great professional experience, but also takes care of it’s employees. Of course your development skills are important, but that’s not all they are looking for. They also look at the kind of person you are. Are you a good and friendly person? Ready to share thoughts and ideas? Then you are more than welcome and I really like that human aspect!