Wiki Power
The first week was manly filled with admin tasks and general getting to know AppSwing and its technologies. With the basics out of the way I needed to information quickly and have it stick, Neil came up with a novel idea for me to do this which involved using a wiki to record what I had learned about AppSwing. This was a benefit to the company as it meant they had a source of data about them and their technology and it was also usefull for me as I grounded the knowledge I was gaining and gained experience in wiki technology, ASP, IIS, and not to forget AppSwing.
Posted on 14/06/06 @ 08:07 AM GMT [No Comments]
First Day Jitters
As I started this blog halfway through the KTP project we need to take a trip into the past where we will find a younger, more naive me.
I turned up for my first day at AppSwing all bright eyed and bushy tailed. I don't think anyone can fully prepare for their first experience at work after being in academia since childhood. I have done my fair share of summer jobs but they didn't seem to take it out of me like my first week at AppSwing. Maybe it was because they were not as mentally taxing, or maybe it was because they were more physically demanding so I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, rather than thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow (this is no longer a problem, I sleep like a log). What ever it was by the end of the first week at AppSwing I was walking around like a zombie.
I am by nature a shy person, although I found out I may over compensate for this as Neil Thompson (CTO of AppSwing) mentioned that I strutted into the interview and came across as very sure of myself (I think his actual words were arrogant). This self assured persona is only skin deep unfortunately, I walked into the office on my first day and saw all these new faces look up at me; I just wanted to walk back out. I managed to control the flee or fight impulse and settled down at my new desk and got stuck into familiarising myself with what I will be doing for the next two years. Neil and the rest of the team gave me a lot of support, my first week was quite well planed before I got there so I was eased into my project and working life nice and slowly.
I think the hardest part to get used to was the meetings and reviews. For university projects, you just get on with your work, do some planning at the beginning and then just get stuck in, write a document at the end if you really have to. You are the designer, manager, programmer, tester, and generally the end user.
When working in a company this is not good enough, everything needs to be discussed and agreed before anything is coded. Documentation needs to be written and you need to have everything you do reviewed to make sure there are no mistakes. This has almost become second nature now but to start with it was very alien.
I feel I have settled into the team nicely, and get on with everyone here. AppSwing is a really nice place to work.
Posted on 13/06/06 @ 08:35 PM GMT [No Comments]
KTP and AppSwing continued
So I have told you a bit about what the company and the academic partners get from this scheme but now for the important bit, my side of the deal. I won’t mention all the benefits I get, instead I will generalise them into areas which will expand as this blog grows.
One of the key benefits for me is experience in the area of work I wish to have a career in. This can be hard to get as often you need experience to get a job and to get experience you need a job (catch 22). Of course this is not the case for all jobs; one of the highest employers of graduates is a well known supermarket.
Other benefits include:
All in all the KTP scheme is good for all parties involved and I would recommend it to everyone that doesn't mind a bit of hard work.
Posted on 06/06/06 @ 09:16 PM GMT [No Comments]
KTP and AppSwing
It’s been a year since I graduated from The University of Reading and lots has happened since, although I am not sure how it has all fitted in as the time has gone so quickly. Most of the rushing around like a headless chicken has been due to a great, little known, scheme called KTP. This is a government scheme that helps companies, students and universities. Each party is helped in several different ways, but I will focus on the benefits to the student as this is the part I play. Just as a quick mention for completeness sake though, some of the benefits include:
Company
University
I will talk about the benefits to me in the next entry.
Posted on 05/06/06 @ 05:43 PM GMT [No Comments]
