JOB ROLE:
I help other companies make their software awesome, and help software developers at those companies to become better at their job.
RELATED DEGREE:
BSc Computer Science / University of Canterbury, New Zealand
MEM (Master of Engineering Mangement) / University of Canterbury, New Zealand
PATH TAKEN TO SECURE POST:
Excluding my high school jobs of supermarket shelf stacker etc…
I worked as a tutor at university for a couple of computer science courses, an information systems course and an engineering course.
I also worked in a team where we built software for a software competition, and also working with a friend where we created a website (which was close to going live but didn’t quite make it off the ground). I spent a couple of my summers working on these projects while at university.
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR THE JOB:
• People skills
• Logical thinking
• Problem solving ability
• Creativity
BENEFITS OF THE JOB:
Variety – I get to go to a new company and learn something new every 4 – 12 months.
Travel – ThoughtWorks sends university graduates to India for 6 weeks of training, and sometimes you might be sent away to another country where you get to sleep in a hotel and eat out at restaurants
Personal growth – I have a training budget which I can use to buy books or go to conferences, and as technology is constantly evolving we are always learning something new.
Food – more chocolate, grapes, nuts, juice, coke than you can drink / eat!
CAREER GOALS:
• Become a software guru
• Experience each step in the software creation process from having an idea to getting a system deployed and keeping it maintained; and do this by using best software principles and guidelines.
• Have a role in creating innovative products and services