2024 was a year that brought significant changes to my life.\nAs I finished my working holiday in the UK and returned to Korea, I faced numerous challenges and learnings. Adapting to an unfamiliar environment, continuously learning and growing, and interacting with people from various cultures was a great opportunity for growth, not only as a developer but also as an individual.

Now, as I prepare for new challenges in Korea, I reflect on the past year's experiences. Although I sometimes failed and felt frustrated, the lessons learned during that process will serve as a stepping stone for future progress.

Job Search Challenges in the UK

My job search journey in the UK was much more challenging than expected. I experienced numerous resume rejections and faced several difficulties even in the interview opportunities I managed to secure. Looking back on that process, I'll summarize some of the biggest challenges.

Overcoming the Communication Barrier

Clearly conveying my thoughts in English was the biggest challenge. When asked unexpected questions, explaining technical concepts or complex algorithms was difficult even in Korean, and it was even harder to express them in English. There were many instances, especially during technical questions, where I couldn't respond logically, which hindered smooth communication with interviewers.

Live Coding Tests

What was more challenging than expected in live coding tests was solving problems while simultaneously explaining the process in English. Multitasking by explaining the problem-solving process in English and writing code at the same time was much more difficult than anticipated. Through this experience, I realized the importance of not only problem-solving skills but also real-time communication abilities.

The Invisible Barrier of Visa Issues

Having less than a year remaining on my visa was the biggest obstacle in the job search process. Regardless of my technical competence, the recurring ‘visa duration’ question in interviews was a factor beyond my control and acted as a disadvantage in the hiring process.

The Importance of Demonstrating Results

Although I had accumulated sufficient theoretical knowledge, I lacked a project portfolio to demonstrate it. Despite extensive learning and experience, I regret not being able to showcase them with concrete deliverables. To address this, I plan to strengthen my project portfolio going forward.

Despite these difficulties, I consider this challenge a valuable experience. I strived to complement my shortcomings through networking and feedback, and gained new perspectives from meeting various people. Although I didn't achieve the desired outcome, I believe these experiences will be an important foundation for my future growth.

Local Life and Cultural Experience

Living with roommates from various cultural backgrounds was one of the most valuable experiences. Living with friends from different countries such as Ecuador, Romania, Ireland, and Japan, I learned to understand and respect each other's cultures.

Furthermore, my work experience at a local restaurant allowed me to directly experience the practical and systematic work culture of the UK. What was particularly impressive was the thorough allergy management system. As London is a city with diverse ethnicities, all staff had to perfectly memorize the allergy information for all menu items, and this was managed very strictly as it directly related to customer health. During this process, each person's role was clearly definedwas also interesting. In Korea, it's common to flexibly perform multiple roles, but in the UK, a system where individuals strictly perform only their assigned tasks was common. As a result, work flows were systematically operated, and management was also clear.

The relaxed culture of the UK was also interesting. Initially, frequent train delays and slow work pace felt frustrating, but over time, I came to understand the approach of using time 'efficiently' rather than 'hurry, hurry.' The culture of strictly separating work hours and personal time made me realize that work-life balanceis an important value to maintain.

Broadening Horizons Through Travel

Traveling to various European cities allowed me to encounter places with different charms.

In January, I traveled to Porto and Lisbon in warm Portugal, and the sunset viewed from the hills of Porto and the atmosphere of that small city are still vivid in my memory. The food and relaxed ambiance there made me want to visit again.

In August, I saw Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona and was more impressed than I expected. Although I usually don't have much interest in architecture, seeing them in person and studying them made me wonder how these buildings were created.

The beaches of Mallorca were incredibly beautiful, enough to make me forget the hot weather. The blue sea and natural beauty there were so special that they remain as a 'beach of a lifetime.' The food and experiences in Mallorca also remain as unforgettable memories.

Learning, Sharing, and Growing Together

Study Group Operation and Planning

Through operating and planning study groups, I gained experience learning and sharing various technologies. Each study group played an important role in my growth, and collaboration with diverse people allowed me to gain a broader perspective and deeper understanding.

Frontend Article Study Group

The frontend article study group, which I operated for a year until August 2024, was an opportunity to gain insights by discussing various topics each week. We built knowledge by reading articles and sharing opinions, which helped me quickly recall information and utilize it when needed.

UI Component Implementation Study Group\nI studied how to implement UI components like Shadcn UI and integrate them into a design system. In particular, Storybookthe process of documenting UI components using was very beneficial and taught me the importance of a well-designed design system.

Frontend Developer Retrospective Study Group

After returning to Korea, I created a retrospective study group where I organized what I studied each week and shared it with other developers. This study group not only contributed to my growth but also provided an opportunity to learn from others' experiences, serving as a catalyst for further technical development.

Participation in Developer Events

During my time in the UK, I participated in various developer events. London, in particular, lived up to its reputation as a city with a vibrant tech community, with new meetups and conferences held every week.

• JS MonthlyI was able to encounter the latest JavaScript trends and new technologies monthly.
• React Advanced LondonI gained insights that could be immediately applied in practice, such as React utilization strategies and performance optimization techniques, and
• London.JSand CITYJSare representative gatherings of JavaScript developers, where there were many opportunities to hear about local companies' technology use cases. Through collaborations with companies, it was great to directly hear how London-based companies utilize JavaScript-related technologies in practice.
• ReactJS Girlsmeetups were a special opportunity to network with female developers and share diverse perspectives and experiences.
• London GraphQLmeetups, I could hear about real-world application cases, such as how GraphQL is used in large-scale services, what problems were encountered, and how they were solved.

These community activities were a valuable opportunity not just to gain technical knowledge, but also to understand the perspectives of global developers and local development culture. In particular, the British developers' views on work-life balance and their attitude towards new technologies provided much inspiration.

Technical Growth and Challenges

Encountering New Technologies

Over the past year, experiencing various technology stacks allowed me to grow a step further as a frontend developer.

tRPC, Storybook, Turborepo, Next.js 14, and other new technologies to actual projects, I not only learned the technologies but also understood the background and pros and cons of each tool.

What was particularly impressive was FSD(Feature-Sliced Design)the experience of adopting the architecture. Initially, it was difficult to adapt to the new structure, but over time, I was able to fully appreciate the benefits this structure provides. I learned to manage code more systematically and realized how useful such a structure can be in projects.

Insights into Learning Methods

The biggest realization during a year of learning was 'how to learn.' Initially, I focused on rapidly acquiring new technologies, but gradually came to feel the importance of fundamental skills. Reading official documentation carefully, applying it directly, and sharing and discussing it with other developers were the most effective approaches.

"Modern React Deep Dive" book and various frontend testing related lectures offered new perspectives on development beyond mere learning materials. AI tools like Perplexity, cursor, and chatgpt were useful, but I also realized that relying on them too heavily could be detrimental.

New Challenges Towards 2025

Now, I plan to prepare for new challenges with clearer goals. While moving towards the goal of employment, I aim to focus on fundamental growth rather than simply chasing new technologies.

• First, I intend to solidify my fundamental skills in JavaScript and React. Rather than focusing on flashy tech stacks, I will concentrate on understanding core principles and developing problem-solving abilities based on them.
• Second, I aim to share knowledge and grow through writing a technical blog and contributing to open source. I am targeting writing one blog post per week, which will be a process for deeper understanding beyond simple knowledge organization.
• Third, I want to challenge myself with mentoring to grow alongside other developers. As the saying goes, 'you learn by teaching,' and through mentoring, I will be able to discover and fill in my own shortcomings.

In 2025, I plan to secure a frontend development positiongrow into a better developer, share knowledge through my blog, improve the performance of my personal projects, and build sustainable services. Additionally, I aim to continuously run study groups, and through learning and networking, evolve not only as a frontend developer but also into a well-rounded developer with comprehensive development knowledge.

Concluding Remarks

My experience in the UK taught me significant lessons. The failures and challenges I faced clarified the direction I need to take and made me realize the importance of preparing for employment more systematically. More importantly, my experience in the UK, aimed at securing a job, contributed to my technical growth and provided an opportunity to reflect on my capabilities.

Even after returning to Korea, the job market remains challenging. However, I judged that at least in Korea, an environment conducive to focusing on job searching was available, allowing me to prepare more effectively. The challenges I faced in the UK built a stronger foundation for me, and now I intend to prepare for new challenges in Korea based on those experiences.