An interview with one of our most recent hires, Andrew Chang.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and grew up in Vancouver, BC. My favourite past time has always been playing video games as a kid, and that hasn’t changed much. I first went to UBC to study Computer Science and then BCIT for a different program. 

How did you select Computer Science as your career path?

I think I chose computer science as more of an educational path than a career path. I was always interested in computers so I knew I wanted to pursue a path related to computers, but it didn’t have to be specifically computer science. If I hadn’t gotten accepted into computer science, I would’ve chosen a different program or a different school.

What attracted you to work at 14 Oranges? 

What attracted me was that 14 Oranges is a local and well-established company for many years, so I was interested in learning the skills and knowledge from the experienced designers and developers here. In addition, 14 Oranges is involved in areas that I was interested in such as web development. I was also looking for a remote internship and 14 Oranges is flexible and offers remote work from home, which is really great especially when there’s a global pandemic.

You were hired during the pandemic. What are some of the challenges of working in a company where you haven’t met anyone in person?

Not sure. None that I can think of, maybe because I’m lacking in experiences of working at other tech companies.

What do you look forward to the most when we return to normal?

Simply being able to walk into a restaurant or store without worries, needing to wear a mask everywhere, use or carry sanitizers. Actually, I wouldn’t mind there being free sanitizers everywhere.

Technology like teleconferencing and contact tracing apps were very helpful during the pandemic. What do you think will be the next technology advancements to help society?

I think augmented/virtual reality combined with teleconferencing and other things. Maybe augmented reality contactless shopping or something.

What devices do you usually use (compare to your peers): mobile, tablet, wearables, others?

Just a phone like I think a majority of my peers. I don’t think I know of anyone who has some kind of wearable besides maybe a watch, or maybe I haven’t paid enough attention.

In 5-10 years your generation will become the main workforce on the market. How do you think the working environment will change?

I think workplaces will be more open and flexible with things like remote work, online meetings, flexible schedules, etc. Probably more technologies involved.

What advice would you give to your old self, Andrew 18 about to enter university?

Maybe that experiences are more important to have. I would actually recommend going to BCIT more than UBC because I felt it was a lot more efficient learning, at least for me personally.