A Placement Why?

I am a Computer Science student and currently on a placement year with a company called Hireserve, based a few miles from Reading. Hireserve is a small company that started out in 1997 as a supplier of e-recruitment software - iCams. There are currently nine employees in the Reading office and three based in Rotterdam.

I was attracted to working at the company for many reasons. Firstly, I liked the fact that I would be working within the industry to make a real difference to the company and I felt that I would be an integral part of the development team. Hireserve also offered me the opportunity to experience the complete product development cycle, from the initial idea through to the final version being released to customers.

When I came for my interview I could tell that Hireserve was a friendly place to work; there was the sense of camaraderie and friendship within the office.

After accepting the job I found Hireserve very welcoming and unlike some larger corporations you are well known throughout the office. I feel you are able to voice your opinions about the way tasks are executed and can express an idea that would be useful for the company’s product. There is always a heavy workload so you are constantly busy but if you get stuck everyone is willing to help and offer advice.

On top of your normal work there is the support role, which will allow you to harness your skills in bug fixing or to simply answer a question a user will have. I found during my first few weeks I was always asking questions, but as I found my way around the product and various technologies we use, I began to rely less and less on other people to complete the task in hand. Now, after three months, I feel confident with the work I am doing and can carry out the majority of my tasks independently. I am also being given much more complex work that is challenging me in a variety of ways.

Whilst working at Hireserve I have been developing with Oracle’s 10g database and learning PL/SQL, which is a procedural extension language for SQL, as well as using HTML, CSS, Java, Javascript and Ajax. I have used a range of different packages that are included with Oracle, such as utl_crypto to encrypt/decrypt data between transactions and utl_http to retrieve data from web pages. I have learned many useful skills regarding software development that will improve my work in the final year, as I will document more details than I have been able to before.

At first I started working on small projects, such as invoking a confirmation box when deleting items from iCams, then moved on to converting menu styles from version six to seven. Doing these small tasks allowed me to build my confidence when using iCams, as well as the coding standards in place at Hireserve and my knowledge of the custom packages. Recently, I have been working on a Zipping procedure for a customer; this has allowed me to experience all the aspects of the product cycle, from receiving the original idea from the customer through to testing the product before releasing it back to the customer. I was also asked to assist with completing the new Hireserve UK website allowing me to use Drupal, a content management system, as well as modifying some CSS which gave me some real ‘hands on’ experience of maintaining a website. The work I do contributes to the success of the business in many ways. I have implemented changes that a customer has requested as well as fixed a problem they have experienced whilst using iCams. Being part of the development team means I am an integral part of Hireserve and my work influences the product directly. I also believe I provide a new perspective on problems which may arise and can help to find the solution.

I came to Hireserve with very little knowledge about databases and website development but this has now vastly increased. With the varied work I receive, I have also learned a lot of PL/SQL, of which I knew very little before. I have also increased my knowledge in HTML, CSS and SQL.

There are many benefits from working here which include:

Being able to put a professional work placement onto your CV.
Earning money for a year which could be put towards a holiday.
Take a year out of education to have a different experience.
To develop skills learned in the first two years at university and to learn new skills.
The potential to gain a job at the company after finishing at university.
An extra year to decide upon your final year project or to start working on it early.

I feel my placement will greatly benefit my final year at university. I will be able to use my improved skills to help on my project and will be using Oracle’s 10g database for part of it. In addition to my technical skills I will be able to utilize the documenting skills I have learned; more in-depth documents containing specifications, planning and testing will provide my reviewer with a much better idea of my project.

My placement has allowed me to experience working for a real company where my input counts.

It has allowed me to take a year out from education, giving me a change of scenery and allowing me to think for an entire year about my final project.

With extra time between the second and final year it will also allow me to prepare myself for the challenges that lay ahead with my technical and analytical skills being developed through real industry work.

These are the reasons I chose to go on a placement, what are yours?

Nick Garland

Placement Student 2009

nick@hireserve.com