- Tell us a bit about your job and how long you’ve been with the company.
I joined Liberty IT in July 2000 as a Placement Student then returned following graduation. Since then, I’ve held a number of job roles and have worked my way up in the company and am currently a Project Lead. I work in the Verification department, which contrary to popular belief – does NOT include manual testing! We are technical testers and do a lot of coding using a mixture of languages including VB script, C#, Java and SQL. My days are made up of a combination of development and maintenance work. This can range from ensuring our automation tests are quick and reliable, to investigating and crafting solutions for new automated testing challenges.
- Tell us about your education and how you came to work in IT.
I studied Computers, Mathematics and History at A-Level and originally wanted to be a teacher. However, my Dad is a Programmer and as a kid, he used to buy me programming books and my interest in computing began to grow. During my second year at University, I met representatives from Liberty IT at the careers fair and after speaking with them, I decided to apply for their placement scheme and have been here ever since! In particular, the opportunity to travel to America was a big attraction for me.
- What’s the best thing about working in Liberty IT?
I enjoy the diversity in the work and working with lots of people on a variety of projects. With being part of Liberty Mutual Insurance, I really feel like my work has meaning, that what I deliver will ultimately be used to help one of our policy holders in a time of difficulty e.g. from serious catastrophes such as Hurricane Sandy to minor car accidents.
- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I play cricket and enjoy going to the gym. I come in early and use our onsite gym in our Belfast office. Perhaps surprisingly, I am also a big fan of cage fighting!
- What would be your dream job?
Maybe I have been watching too many TV police shows like CSI, but I’d love to work for the NYPD!
- In the technology world, is there any one you admire?
I admire the work of Simon Stewart and the advancements he has made in Selenium.