This month we go behind the scenes and chat with Leila, one of our talented software engineers who is part of our ever-growing Cloud Apps team. Learn about how she got into software development and what it takes to make it in the fast-moving tech world.
How did you get into software development?
I never really knew much about computing until I was curious enough to study it at college, and my interest sparked from there! I started building smaller projects in my spare time and then went on to study Computer Science at university. This naturally followed into my career as a software developer, which I absolutely love! It’s very fulfilling to build systems that solve real-world problems and help give our Moneybox customers a great user experience.
What has life been like in team Cloud Apps?
Amazing! It’s great fun to be part of such a friendly, hard-working, and talented team. Everyone here is so supportive and are always happy to help each other and answer any questions – no matter how silly you think they are. We have welcomed so many new developers into the team, and have doubled in size since we have started remote working over the past year. Although it’s not quite the same as being in the office, we have kept the atmosphere alive with virtual socials and our weekly Happy Hour sessions that involve lots of creative quizzes and games!
Can you share anything exciting you’re working on?
I can honestly say everything I have worked on since joining has been super exciting and interesting. A big highlight for me is our Pension Provider Search service, where we help find the provider of your previous workplace pensions. All we need is your employer name and the years that you worked there, then you can sit back and relax as our tool does the rest. It is a great project to be part of and has already helped so many of our customers find millions of pounds in lost pension pots.
If you could pick a secondary coding language after C#, what would that be and why?
Because I mainly program in C# day to day, I would probably choose to learn something that serves a slightly different purpose. I’ve always had an interest in data science and machine learning, so something like Python!
What advice do you have for someone who is looking to get into software development?
If you are just getting started, there are loads of online programming courses out there. However, I do think the best way to learn is to start by building your own project – something that you can get behind and are motivated to follow through. Be passionate about it and don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work the first time. Be prepared to learn lots each day as a software developer. No matter how long you have been in this career, there will always be more to learn as technology is constantly changing and developing all the time.
