Software Developer Review

I really enjoyed my time at Metaswitch. I think it gave me a lot of useful skills that I can take away, and the working atmosphere is fantastic. I was made very welcome from before day one, and throughout the internship I was supported and guided. The company clearly put a lot of emphasis on training and developing their interns

All members of my team were very friendly and helpful. I was able to ask anyone in my network for help, and they would happily do so. Also, rather then being just an intern in a team, I had responsibility and was encouraged to speak up and solve problems I found, rather than just passing them on to someone more qualified.

I had a lot of support from management, and was encouraged to raise issues/questions with my management line if I wanted to. I had tasks that would be suited to me reserved, and had guidance on how to go about these tasks. If a task was going badly, I was able to receive support from my manager, sometimes involving changing the tasks I was doing.

I was kept very busy, which put me under quite a lot of pressure at times, but that's how I wanted my internship to be. I think by keeping me busy I learned a lot more, and this meant I got more out of my placement. If I ever felt too overburdened or stressed, the team were able to resolve it

As mentioned previously, I was part of the team rather than just being an intern. This meant I was working alongside the other team members, on the same codebase. This also meant that my code was released alongside theirs, which is much more satisfying than writing trivial code. I was involved in discussions and felt I could have an input into how the development would progress

With the drive for development present, I feel I've learned a lot of communication skills, but also about code development in industry. I followed a Training and Development plan, and I believe the targets were fair, achievable and applicable in other software companies. The presentation and feedback sessions also helped my presenting skills.

There was a very positive atmosphere in the office and everyone was very enthusiastic about their work. People clearly are interested in their work, which makes the environment very focused. I was encouraged to interact with other people in the office, all of which were happy to talk and answer questions, including about their own work

It was well organised and took place over a period of a few months. I was able to apply for company housing which let me stay near the office for a subsidised rate. I was informed of where this was before coming, and any housemates I would be sharing with. I also received an email from my manager prior to starting which let me know what I would be working on.

I had a personal Training and Development plan that my manager wrote specifically for me, which helped track particular targets that I wanted to achieve. Additionally, a presentations and feedback session encouraged us to improve our presentation skills. In general, it feels like Metaswitch want to develop you even as an intern, and will invest time/effort/money in that.

The general atmosphere makes Metaswitch a very appealing employer as they clearly have employees that are keen and interesting. I also feel there is potential to move around the company, and to work in a department that would suit you. I think the company would look to develop your skills, and so you would also benefit by being an employee.

A lot of the interns were in a similar position to me (i.e. university students) and whether through the interview process or luck, I got on with everyone, and was able to do social events. Company houses were particular useful, as I was able to interact with housemates on a regular basis. Additionally company drinks and events are a good way to socialise with the team/other teams

Metaswitch runs many activities ranging from sports to video games over summer and encourage all to take part. These can get quite competitive! Other activities that I or friends did include go-karting and dodgeball. In addition there are company events such as new starter drinks, or leaver drinks, and morale trips for teams