How did you get started in software engineering?
I was a huge tech nerd as a teen. I got my first iPod for my 13th birthday and broke it apart not long after. I made some money jailbreaking and fixing the devices of friends and neighbours and decided to study computer science at university to pursue my interests. It was quite a steep learning curve, as I had no real software experience. I struggled at first, but once I got my head around it, I was hooked. I did my first internship while still at university, which is where I picked up Javascript and never really looked back.
Why did you choose to work with &Open?
I had just moved back to Dublin from London when I started working for &Open. I was looking for a small local company that could act as my hook back into the city. I’ve always preferred companies on the smaller side, I feel like they have more character and soul. &Open’s web presence is what really drew me in, as did its incredible team of people.
You can never really know how good of a fit somewhere is until you start. In my opinion, employee retention is the thing to look for when on the job hunt; it says a lot about a company and how the team is valued in the eyes of senior leadership. I immediately recognised that &Open valued its team more than most. To that regard, this is the longest I have ever worked anywhere as a developer.
What are you working on at present?
We just launched a waitlist for a new beta offering called &Open On-Demand and I have been heavily involved with that. It’s been a really interesting project, one that makes gifting way more accessible, specifically for smaller businesses. I’m excited to see it officially roll out to customers later in the year. Before this, I worked a lot on client-specific projects, especially on the part of our software that gets the most use. Every ask is different, but that variety is something that I appreciate and enjoy.
What is the best part of your job?
I love to build things and sometimes can’t believe I get to do that as my job. Software engineering can be mind-bogglingly frustrating, but the one thing it never is is boring. It’s great to get to challenge yourself every single day. Aside from that, the technical team that’s been built here is great, and it’s a pleasure and a privilege to get to work so closely with them.
If you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice at the start of your career, what would that be?
To go with the flow more (I’m a bit of an overthinker). Set goals and work towards achieving them, but don’t sweat the small decisions. Take opportunities when they present themselves, and don’t be afraid to take risks. The best time to do that is early on in your career.
What would you say are the key skills and capabilities necessary to be good at what you do?
Strong engineering fundamentals are of course necessary. Logical reasoning and problem-solving skills are helpful as well. But what’s priceless is good communication skills and the ability to flourish within the team dynamic. There’s a lot that goes into building software, from various personalities to ranging skill sets and aptitudes. Being a good engineer is much more than merely exercising your technical skills.
What is the best career lesson you have learned so far?
To be adaptable. The tech industry, especially the start-up scene, is so fast-moving in ways that are completely out of your control. This is part of what makes the job interesting, but it requires a certain mindset to really feel like you’re doing well amid an ever-changing environment.
Is there a particular book or resource you’d recommend to those early in their careers?
I think the local developer community is an undervalued resource, especially for people who don’t have a lot of experience in the industry. Go to meet-ups, talks and hackathons, get to know people in similar roles or areas of work. In my experience, if you’re looking for a job, companies love to hire by referral. I’m lucky enough that my developer friends have always been a great source of advice and growth. A good technical network is truly invaluable.
If you were applying for a software engineering role today, how would you prepare?
I’d try to look over my past experience and make sure I can speak well to the overall projects and my contributions, both technical and non-technical. I tend not to do a massive amount of technical revision, although some places will really grill you on that kind of stuff. I might brush up on anything I haven’t used recently but generally I feel like I’d fit in better somewhere that’s happy with the technical skills I use day-to-day.
I’d also spend a fair amount of prep time preparing questions tailored to the job I’m applying for. This is really important — not just for making an informed decision on what company to join, but also controlling how you’re perceived by the interviewer/s. This is something I learned from being on the other side and conducting interviews myself. When a candidate asks great questions, they stand out.