Intro

It's a common route following computer science degrees to join some kind of graduate scheme. A large multinational rotates you through a number of roles, sampling areas of the business and teaching you their ways. Eventually, they will let you contribute in some small way. The approach is designed to benefit both parties. They take a gamble on an unproven young developer offering them valuable early experience and learnings, while only having to pay a pittance for a potentially valuable future employee who has been molded in the shape of that business' desires.

When I reached the point in my university course to consider where I would go for my year-in-industry (commonly known as a sandwich year, when you spend a year between your second and third university years working with a company instead), I decided to take a different path, joining a much smaller company in SimplyDo. Admittedly at the time, I wasn't sure how this would suit me, but given that I'm still here over five years later, this blog post aims to explain why I think I made the right choice, and why I'd recommend it to others.

Trust

The most obvious difference with this approach is that you immediately represent a much larger percentage of the workforce than if you went for a large, established business. Being one of ten is a far cry from being one of ten-thousand. The main advantage here is that you are immediately able to place your mark. The red tape and hoops you jump through somewhere larger are static; everyone must go through the same training and the same rotations. It makes sense; It's simply not viable to offer personable management to an entire cohort of graduates. But on an individual level, I think it limits how quickly you can make a name for yourself.

I made my first production-ready change on my first day at SimplyDo, the reasoning being that there wasn't time or resource for a new developer to languish. I was given a task, and I was trusted to complete it. If you're confident in your hiring abilities, then you should be confident that your hires are able to perform. I was trusted to research, Google, bash my head against the wall, and ask whatever questions I desired.

In football, they say there's no better way for a youngster to learn than to get out on loan and play senior football, no matter the level. I believe the same to be true in this industry too. Developing something is a learning experience incomparable to university; the pace at which you absorb information is far superior to reading tutorials or watching videos.

You feel proud of yourself too. You've contributed in a small way to the company's ongoing success, and you've immediately proven what you're capable of. You're not a cog in a machine; you're an entire drive shaft.

Culture

Youthful companies tend to have youthful cultures, which is something very important to me. I recognized from the first meeting that I was going to gel with my coworkers. It was relaxed, personable, and empathetic. From day one, I was trusted to do my own work. I wasn't helicopter monitored, and I didn't have endless progress meetings. They trusted me to do my work, and in return, a chill atmosphere was provided. Casual dress and regular social gatherings were key.

The culture of development was also amazing: a belief in not blaming individuals for mistakes, time for learning and reflection, and space to make mistakes and learn from them. It was massively impactful for my personal growth to be allowed time to f*ck things up and figure out how to fix them. Feedback was regular, as was pastoral care.

To this day, we are given the option to permanently work from home, with a shared office space for meetings. We are offered the flexibility to work when we'd like (as long as it gets done); I take regular midday gym breaks to refresh myself, but it's also useful when you need to visit the dentist or wait for the plumber to visit.

I am someone who cares deeply about my life outside of my career. While I consider myself ambitious in my career, the most important things in my life are my family, friends, and memories. My job gives me the flexibility to excel in my work while appreciating my home life. This is a salient point for me and something I would never change again.

Development

SimplyDo cares about my personal and career development. When something isn't right in my personal life, they look out for me and offer their assistance however they can. When I express the desire to learn something new, they try and facilitate that. (Earlier this year, for example, they allocated resources and funds for me to attain my AWS Cloud Practitioner certification). They don't pretend or expect that I'm going to be at SimplyDo until I retire, and as such, they offer me the opportunity to bolster my CV and build my life beyond them. It's not to say there's no mutual benefit; the aforementioned qualification has made me a better network engineer in my day-to-day work too. When you care about your employees, they are devoted in return. Apathy breeds mercenaries - there's a reason we have very little employee churn.

Beyond that, my experience has given me inspiration for my future. My time here has instilled values that I want to implement in my future. I have learned that I want to build something impactful, with an empathetic team and a culture of learning and flexibility. I want to start something that treats its people as I've been treated here.

Outro

I wrote this blog because I wanted to make a conscious effort to be grateful for the good things in my life. I have had a difficult year outside of work, prompting reflection. I had newfound clarity to understand and focus-on what makes life worth living. I've felt a nagging desire to verbalize this for a while, among other things I intend to write about going forward. I am not under the impression I'm a pioneer; it's a fairly standard life story. But I hope that this reaches someone who's been at a similar crossroads, or at the very least inspires someone to reflect on where their career has taken them so far.

I have grown-up and matured at SimplyDo, starting as a teenager up until where I am now, and I hope that I've contributed to the company's development as much as it has contributed to mine, both in and out of work.