How Johannes Became a 14 Oranges Web Developer at 40

Six months ago, if you scanned Johannes Weber’s resume, you might have been surprised to learn that he was our top choice for an open web developer role we were looking to fill.

Johannes had only recently taken a web development course and took the scary plunge into a midlife career change after years of working in live events and broadcast production.

“Changing careers at 40 seemed like a daunting enterprise,” he says.

Despite having just started his web development career, Johannes caught our attention from the moment we received his application. He showed a commitment to quality and high standards simply by taking the time to craft a personalized cover letter that showed he valued what we’re doing at 14 Oranges.

The more I learned about Johannes, the more I sensed he could be exactly the type of developer we value on the 14 Oranges team.

Johannes’ Backstory

In his most recent role as Technical Director at Tenth Church, Johannes was responsible for the installation of a commercial broadcast system and to raise up a team of live production volunteers as the church pivoted in the COVID season, making their services available online.

Johannes has been a hobby programmer for many years and has often written software to streamline tasks at work or at home, but when he applied at 14 Oranges, he didn’t have extensive experience as a developer. But during our first conversation, I realized that, despite not having gone to school to become one, Johannes is an engineer at heart.

He’s truly passionate about building and improving systems and approaches everything he does with an engineering mindset. In real life, he built an Amazon delivery box that prevents his packages from being stolen if they’re delivered when he’s not home. He did this for fun, on his own time! The box locks once a delivery person has placed the package in the box and an email alerting Johannes of the delivery is sent. Not everyone has the interest or desire to solve problems in this way.

Innovation at 14 Oranges

So, while 14 Oranges isn’t in the business of building Amazon delivery boxes, we are in the business of building innovative web solutions for our clients using the latest technologies. When we’re looking for new talent to add to the 14 Oranges team, extensive technical experience is a benefit, of course. But what we really look for is a willingness and aptitude for learning new skills and technologies and an ability to work well with our existing team.

It was clear from my first conversation with Johannes that he ticked those boxes. He brings an open-minded, growth mindset to the table and has also shown great skill as a communicator and collaborator, which are both critical for success in our business.

“I’m so grateful that 14 Oranges offered me my first job as a web developer,” Johannes says.

And while it’s only been a short time, Johannes has already proven he has what it takes, working diligently to fix bugs and develop new features on our Info Grove platform.

“The experience I have been able to gain in just a few months is invaluable,” he says.

I’m confident that his enthusiasm and dedication to continuous learning will lead to great things for Johannes.

“I love that 14 Oranges is a relatively small company – I feel like I am seen,” Johannes shares.

You’re definitely seen Johannes – we’re grateful to have you on the team and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

Sylvain Marcotte is CEO and President of 14 Oranges.