William
software developer/analyst at an IT company
In general terms, what does your job entail?
It involves gathering the requirements for a project and determining the appropriate technologies to use. Once this stage has been reached the project is then developed in accordance with the project plan.
Describe the main events in a typical day
Depending on the stage of the project, tasks would vary between writing documentation, programming or testing the final product.
Do you feel that you are using your talents in your job?
Yes, I believe that I am using my talents daily especially when it comes to programming-related problems.
After leaving school what were the major milestones in your career development?
I would have to say obtaining work experience with InfoScore Software Services in Kilkenny during the summer of 2001, which would have been just after my second year in College as being a significant milestone in my career development.
What do you like about your work?
I like the fact that no matter how smoothly things appear to be going problems always seem to crop up that need your attention and this is always the case when programming large projects.
Is there any aspect of your work that you not like?
Sometimes documenting your work can be tedious.
Do you have any specific advice for someone wanting to enter IT?
Having a wealth of IT knowledge alone will not guarantee success. You should also be aware that good social skills are needed in order to interact with other members of your team, management and possibly end users.
My role in 4 words
Challenging, informative, diverse and enjoyable.
In secondary school I enjoyed ...
Math and Physics.
I was influenced towards to IT by...
It was purely an interest in computers that steered me towards IT. Prior to University I had no knowledge of programming let alone the inner workings of a PC.
