Software engineer Review

Stimulating, engaging work- ideal if you like problem solving and creative engineering.

Very. I really felt part of the team from the first day.

Quite a lot of support and guidance is on hand, and almost every time I had a question about a particular area or problem there was somebody nearby who could help.

One thing Metaswitch do particularly well is to keep you engaged and stretching yourself. It doesn't really let up, but if you can't do something they won't expect you to spend hours more at the office- you just have to do what you can, and it's up to your manager to ensure that you have a good workload (which I very much did).

I wouldn't say I was running the show, but as I grew used to the environment I was given more and more autonomous tasks, often ones which were pretty groundbreaking, and I felt very much as if the team I was working with needed me there.

The technical skills I've developed might well turn out to be useful, as I'm thinking of a possibl career in software engineering; however, I got yet more out of simply working in an intensive office environment, where clear and concise communication is essential.

People were always up for breaks just to chat and joke- some really funny guys on my team! Work is a focus though.

Almost almost flawless, just a couple of things like a broken oven in the company house I was staying in not getting fixed for ages. BUT they actually provide (at a low rent) company housing in the first place, which is amazing! There was a real sense that the system had been tried, tested and refined a lot.

Time, effort and probably a not insignificant amount of money! This was a vauable experience, and I learnt a lot.

They indicated that if I wanted I'd have a very good chance of a job in a coupl of years time once I finish uni. They use the intern scheme very much as a recruitment process- I think of the four new starters I've met for the coming year, two were interns, as was my manager and HIS manager.

A really friendly bunch, and quite a lot of us (30 or so) meant everyone had people they got on well with, and we did quite a few things as a group.

Enfield itself isn't that bad, but if you want a nightlife or similar you have to travel into London proper, which is expensive. But the rent was very low, as it was subsidised by the company.

In the immediate area, pretty rubbish, but it's easy to get into London and places like Camden are buzzing and on the night bus route back, so very accessible.

Plenty of out-of-work sports and social activities. I spent quite a few evenings in London, so didn't end up doing that much, but I played a bit of sport and got the feeling that if I'd wanted to I could have done a lot more.