Software Developer Review

by Metaswitch Networks

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • The Role
    4.0
  • The Company
    3.6
  • The Culture
    3.4

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • 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.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • 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.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • 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.

    3/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • 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.

    4/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • I never experienced the nightlife except a few trips to the pub with colleagues. On those events, it seemed friendly and quite cheap.

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • 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.

    4/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Computer Systems Engineering

East of England

September 2018


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