Software Engineer Review

Over the course of the placement, I was a part of two product teams, developing applications to facilitate the processing of tax data. As a part of collaboration with the team, I frequently participated in daily scrum meetings and other agile software development ceremonies. In my role, I was assigned tasks, such as new application features or bugs, which I then implemented within the product. Regular communication with colleagues and stakeholders was required to support my work, as well as independent working when designing and implementing solutions.

The responsibility given to me increased over the course of my placement. During my training period and shortly after joining the team I did not have access to all of the same resources as my other team members, however over the next few months I became more confident with the product and was given similar responsibility to senior members of the team. I enjoyed this responsibility and believe it made my work much more stimulating, knowing that my work was delivering real-world impact. Knowing I had advice available from my colleagues at all times made me feel confident and supported with this level of responsibility.

My skillset has been massively advanced by my time on placement. The constant collaboration with team members and stakeholders gave me the experience necessary to improve my professional communication, and my confidence has been improved by opportunities to deliver presentations. My technical skills have also been developed significantly. I worked with technologies such as Microsoft Azure, .NET and Kubernetes, which I had no experience of prior to my placement, but now feel confident with after working with them daily. My colleagues were very supportive during my time on placement which helped me to develop my skills at a pace I was comfortable with.

I received lots of support from senior colleagues during my placement. I was encouraged to reach out to colleagues and team members whenever I had a query and they would always be friendly and quick to respond. Both my manager and team's technical lead set up regular catch-up meetings, which I found a valuable forum to ask questions. The majority of engineering work was independent, which I enjoyed as it gave me the freedom to learn and work at a comfortable pace. Despite this, I would often reach out to colleagues if I got stuck and they would always be more than happy to spend time with me to resolve any issues.

The company culture is very focussed on creating a healthy working environment. Everyone is encouraged to adopt a positive work/life balance. Professional networking is promoted through social events and in-office days. All of my experiences with colleagues have been very positive and everyone is always happy to help. Professional feedback is a core part of the role, with team members being encouraged to provide honest and valuable feedback to each other. I have never felt pressured to do anything I am not comfortable with and I am aware of all the channels I have to report misconduct.

I enjoyed my placement to the greatest extent possible. I started work every day feeling excited and motivated to learn and work on something new. I built some long lasting friendships and professional relationships during my time on placement. I feel that I have learned so many valuable skills over the last year, which has given my career journey a head start. This placement has proved that a career in software engineering is the correct choice for me, and has encouraged me to pursue this further.

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