Middleware IP Review

I enjoyed my time immensely. I was always learning new things, working with new and interesting people, and developing my technical ability, teamwork and business awareness. Having a sense of autonomy and gaining the trust of my team empowered me to work on challenging tasks and projects. It was never boring; I always had a spectrum of tasks available, which I was free to complete in our self-organising team.

From very early on I felt like I was valued as much as anyone else; I didn't feel like I was just a placement student. Just as I could ask my team members for help, they also asked me for help. I had the opportunity to work on several high-priority projects and I always had the trust of my team and the room to work independently.

Anytime I felt lost, I was able to speak to my line manager and get guidance straight away. Other managers were also very supportive and everyone was eager to help. During sprints, my line manager would keep the team, and me, happy by resolving any issues we had. We had monthly informal meetings with our line manager, where we could talk one-on-one about any questions or ideas we had.

As the year progressed, I kept getting busier. I got more familiar with different areas of the platform and the code base, which meant I could work on more projects and weigh in on meetings. By having a reservoir of interesting tasks to work on, I rarely felt the need to ask for something to do. My days were overloaded at times, but this was usually resolved quickly once I asked for help.

I was given a huge amount of responsibility at Cognito iQ; this is one of the best things I remember from my experience. As I mentioned earlier, I worked on several high-priority projects, some of which I worked on entirely independently. People from across the company would regularly ask me questions and give me tasks that required some level of specialist knowledge or insight, because I had worked intimately on the related projects. I felt like I was a true member of the team and the company, with true responsibilities for which I was ideally suited.

During my time at Cognito iQ, I broadened my knowledge immensely. We were constantly learning together about new technologies and I felt like we were moving in tandem with the developer community. Most importantly, I learned about the AWS platform, microservices, NoSQL technologies, message brokers, and the agile methodology. The soft skills I learned are invaluable. Working in an agile team every day, communicating with peers and managers, resolving disputes, voicing my opinions, solving problems, are all skills I aimed to develop, and I'm glad to say I did! The development of my technical knowledge will be useful for the remainder of my degree studies, but it will benefit me the most beyond university. The knowledge I now have will allow me to keep track of and jump back into the world of software.

It was quite relaxed in the office, but everyone was concentrated on completing the tasks at hand. People were rarely so busy that they couldn't have a quick chat, which meant we could have impromptu collaboration sessions at our desks. Occasionally there would be a sense of apathy when requirements would fluctuate, but the vast majority of the time we were enthusiastic about what we were doing.

The first few weeks of the placement had set activities, including learning sessions with other members of the team, bitesize sessions with the previous placement students, and other administrative activities. But after that, there was no placement-specific activities - this was perfect. It meant no one, including yourself, was reminded that you were a placement student; you were another member of the company. You weren't delegated the 'easy' or unimportant tasks, because in a self-organising team you pick the tasks that suit you the most.

While I was at Cognito iQ, they introduced dedicated time for innovation during sprints, investment for AWS training and exams, and promulgated the idea "share the knowledge". Even though the company was aware that I would be leaving to go back to university, they gave me training and development time as if I was a lifelong member of the company.

I am definitely considering working at Cognito iQ after university. What's most exciting is the prospect of continuing to learn about and develop new technologies. I know that every day would exciting and interesting, which is the most important consideration for me. I witnessed promotions and team changes while I was there, so I know that employment at Cognito iQ would not be static.

Before the placement started, all of us placement students exchanged contact details and organised accommodation etc. Everyone was very friendly and we would hangout at lunch. It meant we all felt more comfortable at work, but it didn't sequester us from the rest of the employees, and we were soon able to open up and start socialising with others.

The cost of living and socialising what a little higher than where I lived previously, but the salary is more than enough to afford everything you need and have some money left over. If you live with other placement students, or find a good house share, you won't have a problem with the costs in Newbury. Some people live in Reading and get the train or drive, so you have several options.

The Newbury and Thatcham areas have plenty of pubs and restaurants, so if you want something to do you won't be stuck. Reading is only a train away, and it would be much better for nightlife. The trains are cheap and there are several train stations that are only a walk away from the office. However, the area isn't known for its nightlife.

The learning opportunities promoted by the company, e.g. AWS, gave me something to aim for outside of work. People would regularly send company-wide emails asking if anyone would be interested in certain activities, e.g. sports. Small enthusiastic teams would work on side projects outside of work, and these would regularly come to fruition as part of our architecture.