It’s been a while, but our ‘Meet the Team’ series is back! In this session, we’re catching up with our graduate developer, Mandy Yip, who recently joined the team. It’s a pleasure to be chatting with you, Mandy! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I graduated from university not too long ago, and I must say that university has really shaped my personality. I began university studying computing and switched over to software engineering in my second year. This change suited me a lot more – and I graduated from software engineering in 2019! I was born and raised in Edinburgh, but I have an awful sense of direction. On the other hand, I love visiting Hong Kong, and I can definitely say I know that place better than Edinburgh! I also love gaming and love memes!
Having been with us for just a few weeks, how are you finding Condatis?
It’s all really good; my colleagues are extremely welcoming, and everyone is really nice. I think it’s been great for me because I’ve felt like a valued member of the team as soon as I joined. Everyone’s opinions are taken into consideration. I really feel like I’m part of a proper team. In terms of getting set up with resources and software, I thought it would be slightly challenging being remote, but everything seemed to go swimmingly. Resources were in place for me to get started and feel comfortable. Apart from the odd user mistake of forgetting to unmute and forgetting to plug something in, it’s been perfect!
How have you found the transition from university to a graduate role?
It’s been good. With most changes, it’s just been a matter of adapting to everything. Meetings were a big change for me, but I’m getting used to them now. I think, as well as that, having more of a focus has also been an extremely pleasant change. Rather than learning everything and anything, we are working towards developing a product and providing a service here, working as part of a market. It’s a really nice feeling when this all comes together to provide clients with their requirements.
I like the pace we work at. Thinking back to university, it was always a case of thinking about the next deadline, a real race against time. The most pleasant thing for me is definitely working towards a shared goal with the rest of the team.
From a more personal perspective, I enjoy the room for learning and development. There’s a real sense of freedom, with the opportunity to explore what I want to learn without the pressure of having to learn! You know what it’s like… I might be on my way to play a game, but if someone tells me to play that game, I probably won’t do it!
How did you first get into tech, and what attracted you to the industry?
Gaming! I’ve loved gaming since I was young, like primary school age. I think I really got into tech based on that. I took computing in high school and used to enjoy coding. As I began studying computing in university, the coding aspect became slightly challenging, I managed to adjust and started picking up and learning what I wanted to pursue. By the time I switched over to software development, I found that I had a keen interest in data and really enjoyed the cross-over between software development and data.
This is a bit of a big topic, but we’re really keen to get your thoughts on this. In your opinion, how do you think tech companies can grow a more diverse workforce and provide equal opportunities for all?
Great question! I’d say there should be more gender balance across teams; it’s time to break the stigmas! It can be quite daunting joining a new team or group but being made to feel equal helps heaps. For young aspiring developers pursuing a career in tech, I’d say follow what you want to follow, be part of the movement, and do it with confidence!
What advice would you give to aspiring developers and graduates?
Aspiring devs and graduates – learn at your own pace. Don’t rush your journey! Learning is different for everyone, so I’d definitely say do what helps you the most and gives you the best platform to learn. Don’t worry so much about what everyone else is doing.
Once you graduate and are looking for a job, remember to prepare for interviews – don’t wing it! Have a good GitHub with decent projects in there and responsible file names.
When you’re not on the job, what do you get up to you in your spare time?
I do a whole lot of gaming! I like to play console, Nintendo Switch, and PS4 games. I also play a lot of adventure games. I love puzzle games, but I’m terribly bad at them. My method is to get stronger and be stronger than the enemies, but that doesn’t really work in puzzle games! Besides that, I enjoy drawing and playing a variety of instruments, including piano and guitar. I also enjoy messing around with other instruments.
COVID has impacted so many of us in different ways. Some of us buried ourselves in DIY or binge-watched everything Netflix has to offer. How have you kept yourself busy?
Gaming. I think I logged 200 hours on one game… I shouldn’t be proud, but I am. Aside from gaming, I’ve helped out around the garden, but I’ve certainly not enjoyed the soil aspect of gardening. I’ve also been learning a few things on the piano; I enjoy learning songs from games – that tends to be what I play most. When it comes to the guitar – I tend to just make as much noise as possible.
If you could learn to do absolutely anything, what would it be?
Absolutely anything? Hmm, for me, learning to read and digest things quickly would make learning great… I can read quickly, but I want to understand what I’m reading, digest the information, and process it.
What is a film that you highly recommend?
I watched ‘The Meg’ recently, it is the funniest shark movie… and it’s not a comedy! A questionable plot, questionable lines, everything is just a bit questionable. But visually, it was great!