What is your current role in the S&SHIS?

Software Developer – Application Development Team

What do you do in your role?

My primary responsibilities as a software developer involve:

• Developing new features and functionality within SMT
• Updating existing features and functionality within SMT as business requirements change
• Investigating and resolving issues with SMT as they arise
• Providing technical advice and solutions to the senior management team as and when required
• Working with the projects team, providing project updates, time estimates, complexity assessments of tasks and assistance with software-related project planning
• Being a technical point of contact for colleagues across the S&SHIS, specifically with regards to SMT’s functionality, processes and procedures
• Maintaining and supporting the IT Shop websites and database
• Working with the SMT version 2 project board to re-develop the SMT system from the ground up

Have you always worked in this role?

I have not always worked as a software developer within the application development team; I started this role around 2 years ago.

What other roles and departments have you worked in during your career?

I started my career with the S&SHIS as a first line support analyst, later progressing to the Operational Development team, as an Operational Development Engineer (now known as an Endpoint Administration Engineer). I then progressed onto becoming a Network and Systems Engineer within the Network and Systems team.

What motivated you to move roles?

I decided early on into my career that software development was the field I wanted to work in.

After testing the water with personal projects and websites, I found I enjoyed the technical challenges and the sense of accomplishment which developing software brings.

I got a taste for what writing software was like in both the Operational Development, and Network and Systems teams, where I was afforded the opportunities to automate certain processes and procedures using Orchestrator and PowerShell. As I started to become more familiar with software development related concepts, I started warming to the idea that I may well be capable of writing software in a professional capacity.

What support helped you to make this change?

I feel the one of the S&SHIS’ biggest strengths is the value placed on individual development and progression.

Of course, I feel incredibly lucky that a role was available at the time I felt ready to move forward, but primarily, it was the advice and encouragement from fellow colleagues across the S&SHIS that helped me gain the confidence to start taking the steps required to upskill and apply for the open vacancy.

What do you value about progressing your career in S&SHIS?

Progressing my career within the S&SHIS has helped me grow immensely as an individual, and for each team I have worked within, I feel I have obtained a diverse set of skills which prove useful every day.

In my experience, the S&SHIS provides a strong foundation for individuals to take ownership and to specialize in operational areas. Doing this has given me invaluable experience which I am able to rely upon as I continue in my career.

What would be your best piece of advice to others seeking a career in the S&SHIS?

My best piece of advice is to identify the areas in which you are confident with, but more importantly, the areas which you are not. Reach out to the lead for the team you wish to work for and ask for a copy of the job specification. Read through each requirement listed, have a think about how you meet each one. There will be requirements which you may not be confident with. Create a list of requirements which you are not confident with and use it as a guide on the areas you need to improve upon.

In my experience, even if you haven’t worked in a professional capacity for a given requirement, spend some time creating personal projects which line up with the listed requirements. This will help you to demonstrate your willingness to learn and shows you have taken the initiative to advance your knowledge in areas where you were unfamiliar.