In September 2022, I started my apprenticeship at Welbees, a Paris-based startup specializing in fatigue and stress management in high-demand work environments. This marked the turning point in my career shift into web development, following a year of self-training after leaving my job in logistics.

The position at Welbees allowed me to join their IT team for a two-year apprenticeship while studying at L’École Multimédia. It was a critical opportunity: I had everything to learn, and they were willing to train me. I completed this apprenticeship in December 2024, after two years and three months that fundamentally shaped my skills and confidence as a developer.

About Welbees

Welbees is a startup founded in 2016 by Viravanh Somvang and Philippe Cabon. The company supports organizations whose employees face irregular or demanding work schedules (especially in sectors like transport and healthcare) with a focus on fatigue risk management (FRMS) and human factors. Their tools aim to reduce stress and improve well-being through data analysis and targeted interventions.

Team and Workflow

The IT team was compact and highly collaborative. I worked with Guillaume, the lead developer who mentored me throughout, and Ema, who acted as both UX designer and product owner. Our office was located in La Défense (Paris), with two remote days per week. Guillaume worked fully remotely but was consistently available and supportive.

We worked in two-week sprints under an agile methodology. Each morning started with a short daily meeting to sync on progress. Planning and prioritization were handled by Ema using Miro, and we collaborated primarily through Microsoft Teams and OneNote. Tasks were initially tracked in a simple list, but later in the year, I helped introduce a more structured ticketing system with priorities, estimates, and categories to improve our sprint management.

My Role and Responsibilities

I joined the team as a fullstack developer apprentice. While my work leaned slightly more toward frontend (around 60%), I also contributed regularly to backend features and architecture. Our stack included:

• Frontend: React.js (JavaScript), MUI
• Backend: Nest.js (TypeScript), Strapi (headless CMS)
• Databases & infra: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Docker
• Testing: Jest
• Other tools: Git (with code reviews), Figma, WordPress

From the outset, the projects were in early development. I had the opportunity to contribute to the construction of two internal web applications from scratch. This meant that for many features, I was involved end-to-end: reviewing specs with Ema, brainstorming technical solutions with Guillaume, implementing backend and frontend logic, and participating in code reviews and deployment.

Key Features I Worked On

Some of the most significant components I worked on included:

• A user-facing dashboard aggregating data for client access
• A dynamic form system to collect user input
• An internal back-office interface for non-technical consultants
• A form-building tool allowing consultants to generate JSON-based forms without code
• A UI components refactor for improved consistency and maintainability
• A notifications system integrated with the platform
• Enhancements to the calendar module
• An event system tied to core application logic
• An offline mode for partial functionality without network access

In addition to these highlights, I worked continuously on a wide range of features throughout the two applications. Many were smaller but essential: bug fixes, UI refinements, performance improvements, edge-case handling, and iterative enhancements based on team feedback.

Beyond feature development, I also maintained the company’s WordPress-based website, contributed regularly to LinkedIn communications, and conducted both technical and domain-specific research to support internal discussions.

Design Involvement

While my primary role was as a developer, I was given increasing freedom to propose design ideas. Knowing I had an interest in UI design, the team let me create interface mockups on Figma and integrate them into the feature development cycle. This added a creative dimension to my work and pushed me to think beyond functionality toward usability and user experience.

What I Learned

Technically, I gained hands-on experience in modern fullstack development, version control, testing, and deployment practices. I learned to work in a dockerized environment, write maintainable code, and contribute to both small and complex features.

Beyond the code, I developed a strong sense of organization and autonomy. I learned how to scope a feature properly, gather the right information, and make technical decisions with tradeoffs in mind. Guillaume’s guidance was instrumental in that regard, he emphasized structured thinking, anticipation, and clean execution.

Soft skills also grew naturally from working in a small, cross-functional team. I became more confident in communicating with both technical and non-technical collaborators, giving and receiving feedback, and managing deadlines.

Conclusion

I left Welbees in December 2024 with a sense of pride and gratitude. Those two years not only confirmed my reconversion but also gave me the technical and human foundation I needed to move forward.

I’ll always be thankful to the Welbees team for giving me this chance, especially to Guillaume for his mentorship and to Ema for her trust and collaboration. This was more than just an apprenticeship, it was the launchpad of a new professional life.