Placement Interview: Suryansh Singh, Andor Technology

Student name: Suryansh Singh

Company name: Andor Technology (Under Oxford Instruments)

Role: Software Engineering Placement Student

Why did you decide to do a placement?

There were two main reasons that led me to do a placement: I want to be job ready as soon as I graduate and having this placement experience will have help me significantly in that.

My parents were able to finance the fees for my first two years at university. I want to use the salary from my placement to contribute to my final year of fees.

What does your placement involve? What are your role responsibilities?

My placement involves a wide range of tasks that a software engineer does. I am working with the main software development team, and my role is no different than the other developers. As an Intern I do need guidance sometimes, but the team are always on hand to help with any issues.

I get assigned several tasks at the start of every sprint (a development run of 2 weeks) and then try to resolve all those tasks as quickly as possible. Once the development is done, I test my code on real devices in the lab – some of them are used by NASA and Nobel prize-winning scientists, etc.

Do you have any advice to students who are looking for / applying for a placement?

Start applying as soon as vacancies are open and apply to several placements to increase your chances, especially if you’re relying on the placement to finance your studies.

Develop your computing CV through activities such as answering questions on Leetcode, increasing your proficiency in version control, and creating projects you can talk about at interview.

Companies love hearing interns talk about AGILE methodologues and DevOps, so make sure to have a basic knowledge of them.

Smile during your interview!

You might get rejected during the application process, even from the online assessments but all you must do is learn from your mistakes, master these things, and move forward. I remember I got rejected from the first 20-30 applications I made but after a while I was clearing all the online assessments, had 3-4 interviews, and secured 2 offers. So, don’t let rejections demotivate you!

What support have you had from the university before and during your placement?

Newcastle University has been very helpful in terms of career support. Before the placement I completed 3 or 4 NCL Internships offered by the university and that really made my CV and profile look good. The MyCareer website lists tons of internships and tools and there is the ability to book CV counselling.

The support from the placement team through email has also been amazing. I emailed them with lots of questions and they dealt with all of them kindly.

What benefits will your placement have on your studies?

Before starting the placement, I was considering what my final year project would be. I was a bit concerned about what I would be able to create as I didn’t feel confident in my coding skills. But after completing the first 4 months of my placement, I now feel so much more confident in my skills.

I’m feeling really motivated about going forward into my last year at university as I’ll be able to use everything I’ve learnt during my placement in my final year project and other assignments.

9 December, 20245 December, 2024

Serios Group Graduate Schemes – Data Analyst / Test Analyst

Serios Group Graduate Scheme Data 1 Download

Serios Group Graduate Scheme Data 2 Download

Serios Group Graduate Scheme Test 1 Download

Serios Group Graduate Scheme Test 2 Download

5 December, 20245 December, 2024

Neptune North – Software Developer

Software Developer – Newcastle upon Tyne

Who we are

Neptune North is a newly created Joint Venture between Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting and part of the NYSE listed Marsh McLennan, and Rokos Capital Management (RCM), a global alternative investment fund manager.

We pride ourselves on employing and developing only the very best talent in the North East, ensuring unparalleled quality and expertise in every project we undertake so that we can surpass our clients expectations, solve challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions.

If you’re a great developer and great communicator who loves working on demanding initiatives and solving challenging problems that need to be delivered at pace then Neptune North could be the right place for you.

We do everything from our home in the heart of Newcastle City Centre, where we are building a team of exceptional people and an incredibly intellectually stimulating environment from which to work.

Our Culture

An exciting aspect of joining a newly created business at this stage is the opportunity to be in from the start and help define the culture.

There are things that we won’t compromise on though:

We are looking for exceptional talent with excellent communication skills
Collaboration is key, both internally and with our clients. We believe we do our best work when we are together and working hand in hand with business users
Curiosity is something we embrace and value highly
We want people who are positive and passionate, have proven problem solving capabilities, can work quickly to find solutions to complex challenges and unlock big opportunities
People need to be able to take ownership and be trusted to deliver, going the extra mile when needed
We want people who are highly motivated and have a high desire to learn

Responsibilities

Ownership of technical products and projects – our developers actively engage with a wide range of business functions to leverage their knowledge and exposure
Exercising judgement and acumen to understand the true business need beyond the stated requirements
Challenging current systems and processes to achieve common goals through technical excellence and innovation
Keeping abreast of industry and technology trends that will keep us at the forefront of what is possible
Having impact from day one – we empower and trust our developers to leverage their skillsets

What makes a great candidate

Excellent programming and technology skills, including an in-depth understanding of and recent programming experience in C#/.Net or other object orientated languages such as Java or Python
Experience working with SQL databases
Azure or AWS experience
A strong enthusiasm for programming and technology and an appetite to work in a dynamic and integrated team
An entrepreneurial nature, willing to take ownership and run towards problems and someone who thrives on innovation
The ability to own all aspects of development projects from start to finish
A desire to understand and solve business problems, build domain knowledge and increase market understanding
The ability to communicate clearly and professionally with our clients as well as team members
Financial Services experience a bonus, but is not essential
A minimum 2.1 degree obtained in Computer Science, or a related field, ideally from a Russell Group University

Why join us?

You can have an impact from day one – we empower and trust our developers to leverage their skillsets
Work on a wide variety of projects alongside exceptionally talented people, often closely correlated to world events and trends
Deliver demonstrable business value working hand-in-hand with the customer
Learn from industry experts on how financial markets and world economies work
Ownership of technical products and projects – our developers actively engage with a wide range of business functions to leverage their knowledge and exposure
Exercising judgement and acumen to understand the true business need beyond the stated requirements
Challenging current systems and processes to achieve common goals through technical excellence and innovation

Interview Process

Coding Challenge – We would like to get a better sense of your programming potential. You will be sent some questions hosted by Codility to be completed at a time that suits you.
Aptitude Test – You will complete a speed-driven aptitude assessment.
Management Interviews – You will meet with members of our Technology Management Team. These will be a combination of technical questions and an assessment of team and cultural fit.
Team Technical Interview – As a final step you will meet 1-2 other team members for a technical interview.

At Neptune North we are committed to cultivating a work environment that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion at its core. We believe that our people’s diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences will help us to attract, develop, and retain top talent.

We will not discriminate against any individual on the basis of their gender, age, race/ethnicity, identification as an LGTBQIA+ individual, religion, or disability (or any other characteristic protected by relevant local law).

3 December, 20243 December, 2024

NCL Internships

NCL Internships are open to all current Newcastle University students and provide a unique opportunity to gain valuable graduate level work experience alongside your course.

Opportunities are advertised throughout the year and you find all current vacancies on My Career by searching ‘NCL Internship’

The following NCL Internships are advertising on MyCareer right now:

Role title, company name: Front End Developer, Echo3.cloud LTD

Student requirements: This internship is open to Newcastle University students studying Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Closing date: 06/01/2025

Dates and times: This internship will take place for 50 hours between the January and February 2025. You will undertake a flexible number of hours each week around your course. The internship will take place remotely, with the opportunity to meet at our co-working space in Middlesbrough.

Bursary/wage: £625 Bursary

Role overview: As a Front-End Developer Intern, you will collaborate with our product and backend teams to develop and enhance the user interface for Echo3.cloud. You will be responsible for implementing responsive, user-friendly designs using Material-UI and React, connecting these interfaces to our AWS-powered backend services. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a start-up from Minimum Viable Product stage through to product launch in March next year. You will learn and grow in a supportive, fast-paced environment while contributing to a high-impact product. We are part of Tees Valley business incubator programme, and you will be supported by our team of Developers. If successful during the internship we would consider further employment for the right candidate.

For more information and to apply, click on this link https://mycareer.ncl.ac.uk/leap/jobs.html?id=80120&service=Careers%20Service

Get in touch with us

If you have any queries regarding careers and employment, big or small, no matter what stage you’re at, you can get advice by submitting your query via MyCareer. You can also find details of all the internships we’re currently advertising on MyCareer by clicking on Vacancies; Search Vacancies and then typing NCL Internship into the Quick Search box.

Please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/careers to explore all we offer!

3 December, 20243 December, 2024

Employer Interview: Enigma Interactive

Enigma Interactive are an award-winning specialist digital development agency based in Newcastle and London.

What placement roles do you offer to Computer Science Undergraduates?

We offer 12-month Developer placements to Computer Science and Software Engineering Graduates as part of their degree course.

What do students work on during their placement?

The work that our Placements do at Enigma will be varied, depending on the team and projects they are assigned to. This means, at times, it can be quite complex and require some level of R&D, whilst at other times, it may involve refining, maintenance and support.

Work can include:

Implementation of front-end user interfaces and experience based on graphic designs

Implementation of server-side logic and code based on technical / functional specification

Design and configuration of data storage / database schemes

Peer to peer testing and review of work delivered by teammates

Client communications – including requirement gathering, involvement in weekly calls and Programme Board meetings

What are the key skills you’re looking for in students applying for placements?

For Enigma, placement students would be creative developers who have the following skills (or at least a selection of them)

knowledge of object-oriented languages such as Java or C#

Knowledge of front-end web technologies such as VUE, SASS or LESS

Knowledge of web server technology such as Nginx or Apache

Knowledge of database technology such as MySQL or Hibernate

However, having a positive attitude is key for our placements – those with the drive to learn new technologies and frameworks and the desire to contribute to a creative and collaborative multi-disciplined team are important.

We look for students, much like our other employees, who are passionate, not afraid to challenge, analytical and supportive.

In a nutshell, students with excellent coding and problem-solving abilities, a real passion for digital technology (specifically web development) and with an inquisitive mind would be the ideal candidates for a placement with us.

What support does Enigma Interactive offer for placement students?

Our Placements are treated like all our employees in that they are given a full induction when they first start, along with a period of on-boarding into their role, followed by continued support throughout their time with us, as and when required.

We integrate our Placements fully into their team, its projects and our business.

We appreciate that they are still students, and there will be gaps in knowledge and skillset, so we assign a ‘mentor’ who is there to answer any questions and provide support and guidance.

We know we have an obligation to support our Placements, not just as a means to ‘upskill’ them by providing technical knowledge and commercial insight, but to help them develop those all-important softer skills, as well as building their confidence and resilience.

We encourage our Placements to get fully involved with the vibrant social scene that Enigma offers. Activities include sports challenges, book club, Pilates sessions, pub lunches, plus a whole range of ad hoc evening activities such as axe throwing, crazy golf, cheese tasting and Escape Rooms, to name but a few. We’ve even had a visit from some birds of prey at our studio! This helps the students to fully integrate into our team and fosters a sense of belonging.

Being a Placement in a business is often a significant change for students – they are in a new commercial environment, with new challenges and new people. Given that, we are keen to support our Placements overall well-being and mental health – during their transition from student-life to the workplace, and throughout their time with us.

Have any of our students you’ve previously taken on placement been offered a role after graduation?

Yes – most definitely! Since we began taking placements, several of our Newcastle University students have been offered permanent Developer roles after Graduation.

Currently, we have three Developers on staff who started out as placements and another two who have been offered a full-time job when they graduate.

How can students find out about the placement vacancies you have available?

Each Autumn, we advertise our placements on the Newcastle University Careers site and also have the opportunity posted on the University Computing @ Newcastle: Employment and Enterprise blog.

We liaise with the Placement Co-ordinator to make sure that the opportunity is promoted and announced to all 2^nd year students who may be interested.

Enigma also regularly attend the University Job Fairs where we promote our placements and any graduate opportunities that we have open.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Enigma has been offering placement opportunities to university students for over 20 years and the benefits to both the student and to our company cannot be overstated.

Placement students have brought Enigma talent, creativity, diversity and innovation. They have allowed us to expand our services, maintain the quality of what we build, commit to increased client work and hit deadlines, as well as contributing to overall business growth.

Enabling our placement students to grow and progress as developers is not just of benefit to Enigma and our clients, but by extension to the whole digital sector.

We want our students to thrive during their year with us – to really enjoy their time here, to gain exposure to a variety of technologies and to hone their skills (hard and soft) and, hopefully, return to us when they graduate.