In May 2022, we extended a warm welcome to Jared, who joined Methods through our GRAVITATE initiative. Jared, who joined as a developer primarily working in software engineering and development and is currently working towards the Microsoft AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals certification, shared insights about his ongoing journey with us:
1) What has been your experience from the onboarding process until now?
The onboarding process with Methods was incredibly smooth. The induction days showed me something about Methods I hadn’t seen in other companies I’d interviewed with – no matter the role, everyone is always happy to answer any questions and do their best to help. My induction cohort had juniors up to senior management, all engaging with one another and helping each other out of our shells so we could all be our best selves.
Being assigned to my first client project was challenging and rewarding. There is a lot to learn, but as long as you’re eager to take part and ask for help when needed, the Methods and client teams have such a wealth of expertise to share. I’ve gained technical skills and massively improved my communication with clients and users, which will benefit me throughout my career.
I have regular catch-ups with my line manager to know how I’m progressing, address any hurdles I’ve encountered, and whether there’s anything we can do in the short or long term to benefit my career and fulfil the client’s needs.
Lastly, in addition to progressing from a Junior Developer to a Mid-Level Developer earlier this year, I’ve also gained the privilege of representing the Technical Delivery & Software Engineering (TDSE) portfolio in the Methods colleague forum. These meetings allow me to put forward any queries about company policy, offices, or suggest any improvements made by my colleagues to our COO for discussion/feedback.
2) What are your career aspirations after completing the GRAVITATE initiative?
My plans for my career are to continue building upon my knowledge and skills, work towards achieving recognised qualifications, assist new developers on my project or who have any questions, and to carry on as the TDSE portfolio’s colleague forum representative.
The next growth stage for me in Methods will be to continue my work as a Mid-Level Developer, taking on more responsibility and progressing into the Senior Developer role. Also, once I feel I’m ready and can do so, I’d like to become a line manager to help other developers grow and learn from them to become a better Developer myself.
3) Have you gained any qualifications whilst in the GRAVITATE program?
Until recently, my main emphasis has been gaining as much experience as possible to apply to qualifications and further learning. I have taken advantage of multiple LinkedIn Learning courses and other non-certified courses to sharpen skills I regularly use on client projects. I started with this approach to tangibly see my skills improving, and I’m setting a great foundation that further certifications/qualifications can help cement.
Recently, Methods started using a skills platform called RoleModelplus, which allows people across the company to benchmark themselves against frameworks. My benchmarking primarily focused on the SFIAplus IT and the government’s DDaT frameworks. This benchmarking allowed us to develop learning plans, which included soft skills such as time management, as well as qualifications and responsibilities to take forward in our careers, with timed targets we can assess with our line managers down the line.
4) Anything else you’d like to share?
The main takeaways from my onboarding are:
- Always ask for help when needed – you may think you’ll look silly or feel bad for repeating the same question, but don’t stop pushing until you understand the problem. People will respect your willingness to learn!
- You are part of a team – everyone has their area of expertise, even if it’s niche. Work with people to learn from each other and give the client the best outcomes.
- You will make mistakes, and that’s okay – we’re all human, and as long as you’re open and honest, not only can you learn from them, but they can help improve processes so they don’t occur in the future.