Software Developer Review

I did really enjoy my internship. I felt welcomed by my colleagues and learnt a lot about coding and working in a big company. I also had a lot of fun doing extra non-work activities with my colleagues. Sometimes I felt like I wasn't pushed quite as hard as I would have liked, but I think I still gained a lot from the experience.

I felt respected and valued by my colleagues. My manager put lots of time into teaching me a programming language and how to write Metaswitch standard code, which made me feel like he valued what I could bring to their product. Everyone in the office treated me as an equal as well.

My first two weeks were purely spent learning and being taught how to code in the Metaswitch way, which required loads of time and support from my manager. Whenever I had a question it was answered thoroughly and quickly, and my manager worked hard to make sure I solved any problems I encountered.

I almost always had a job I could be working on, but I also had some free time to relax and, for example, play table tennis with people in the office. However, occasionally I was blocked in the work I could do if a decision had to be made by someone above me which could be a little frustrating.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of responsibility I was given. For the latter half of the internship I was modifying and rewriting some of the actual product code, and my changes will eventually be incorporated into the live version for customers. Of course there were the appropriate safeguards like code review, but I felt like I was making a real difference to the product.

The coding experience will be extremely useful for my degree and beyond. I had had very little experience of programming before the internship, but now I feel confident in writing good quality code. It was also the first time I had worked in an office, so I have gained important experience working in a work environment.

It was very friendly in general. I liked the open plan style of office since it meant everyone was within talking distance which made asking questions a lot less stressful. Everyone was nearby so we felt like a team. The kitchen was also quite modern and encouraged everyone to sit together at lunch.

There was a good structure to the internship. The first two weeks were all about learning the necessary skills then the rest was spent applying those skills to the codebase. There was also an intern week half way through during which we competed in teams to make the best hack.

I felt like they really valued my development as a coder. The first two weeks were all about bringing my skills up to speed so I could write Metaswitch standard code, and then they taught me how to use the company systems so I could apply those skills on their product.

I would say a job in Metaswitch does attract me, since it was a very nice working environment, and the work itself was interesting and varied. It seems like a really nice software engineering company. I am just not sure at the moment as to whether I want to go into other areas after university such as research.

I would say there was a good social scene amongst my fellow colleagues. I was not in the Enfield office which had the vast majority of the interns, so I did miss out on their social events, however the employees in my office had drinks events and board game evenings which made me feel welcome. If possible, it would be good to have a more even spread of interns.

I managed to get cheap accommodation in the area and cycled in to work everyday, so living costs were very cheap in general. Food is not too expensive, especially with some free food in the office, and the company paid for drinks whenever we went out for welcoming or leaving drinks.

I never experienced the nightlife except a few trips to the pub with colleagues. On those events, it seemed friendly and quite cheap.

Yes there were lots. My particular favourite was the table tennis ladder which was very competitive and a good way to take your mind off work. The company also had a series of fun events called Game of Phones that everyone could get involved in, which included sports, games and challenges.