Software Engineer Review

As a Software Engineer, I work within the agile methodology, and am assigned to a squad that works in 3-week sprints. I am responsible for implementing code to complete tickets for the squad, as well as reviewing work for others, and attending sprint ceremonies (such as stand-up meetings, sprint planning, backlog reviews and sprint retrospectives) throughout the sprint. Code is generally written in Javascript or Typescript, and we make use of React, Redux, nodeJS, Figma, Jira, Github, and numerous other technologies to complete our work.

After completing my onboarding, during which I was assigned a buddy to help me get to grips with working at Holiday Extras, I was effectively given the same level of trust as all the other engineers in the company, despite being on placement.
I am trusted to pick up tickets from the Jira board and complete these independently, before putting my work up for review, and deploying it if approved, or otherwise improving it if suggestions are made. This is the exact same process followed by the other engineers in my squad. I have worked on several different projects, and have even become one of the primary contributors on a couple of them, becoming a source of knowledge for other members of the squad.
Despite this, I never feel pressure to compare myself to other members of the team, as everyone is aware that I am on a placement, and they are therefore accommodating of the fact that I will naturally lack some knowledge or skills possessed by others.

I have developed my existing skills. I now have a far greater knowledge surrounding Javascript and Git than when I joined. I have also learned more about how agile development processes (such as scrum) are implemented in practice, compared to the theory learned at uni.
I've learned new skills and am now capable of working using industry-standard technologies (such as React, Redux, Figma, Github, Full Story and more), and have developed knowledge of typical industry practices, such as split testing, swarm testing, PR reviews and more. On top of this, I have developed my soft skills, and feel that I have become far more confident and a better team player than I was when I joined, and am also more aware of the general social skills required to work in industry.

I have received a good amount of support during my placement. When I first joined, I was assigned a buddy who paired with me on work and took me through the processes and tech used at Holiday Extras. I have also had regular meetings with my line manager and the technical lead for my squad throughout my placement to check how I am getting on and address any concerns I have. These meetings have been used to set development goals for me. To assist my development, I have been able to gather constructive feedback from colleagues on several occasions by sending out feedback forms, which has been immensely helpful. Generally speaking, everyone I work with has also been immensely helpful and people are always willing to share knowledge and provide advice when needed.
There are only two areas I can think of that are slightly weaker. The first is help in learning new areas of the codebase, which can be difficult due to a general lack of documentation (and lack of code comments / self-documenting code) combined with a general lack of knowledge among the team - for several projects, a small number of people often act as a single source of knowledge. The second slightly weaker area is a lack of introductions to colleagues upon first joining, but I think this is likely because the buddy assigned to me was a remote worker, which means they don't have relationships with many of the people in the office.

The company culture is one of teamwork, collaboration, fun, and growth, and is generally blame-free. The office building itself is a very open spaces without designated offices and there is a very friendly, informal atmosphere - I could even just chat and spend the day with my line manager if I feel like it. Everyone is always more than willing to provide their help and knowledge when needed, and personal growth is not just encouraged but compulsory - there is a day set aside each month specifically for personal development, whether that be reading a book, going to a conference, or working on a personal project. There are social events throughout the year, including a week where everyone comes into the office to socialise (with remote workers' flights being paid for), and other fun events, like monthly episodes of the in-house TV show. This is all summarised by the slogan "No fun, no point", which is even written on the ceiling of the CEO's office.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement as the work is exactly what I had hoped for - I spend the day writing and reading code, and in meetings with my squad. I really enjoy the feeling of teamwork and collaboration that comes from these meetings. I feel like I've become a trusted member of the team and everyone values and trusts my input, despite just being on placement. The work I have done has been mostly front-end, and as a result it feels like what I do has a direct benefit for customers, by providing a smoother and more modern user experience. I have occasionally been assigned work which has been slightly demotivating due to its difficulty or my lack of knowledge, but this is relatively rare and it is also usually an opportunity to learn.
I have also enjoyed the flexibility of hybrid working. The only real downside for me has been that I am the only non-remote engineer in my squad, so I haven't been able to engage socially very much with my squad-mates, but I've made up for this by socialising with other colleagues in the office, which I have really enjoyed.

Yes