Interviewing for my first Proper Job

While going through the interview process, I was lucky to land some contract work doing some Visual Basic programming, with a bit of Sage integration. This meant I had the luxury of time to decide on the type of company I wanted to work for.

In 2005/2006 the competition was really strong for jobs in technology, but there was also a lot of demand. I interviewed for a number of big corporate firms, some start-ups, and some small to medium sized enterprises (SME’s). It was tough, a lot of rejection and a lot reflecting on what I wanted for my future.

Initially the idea of working in London for a big corporate really appealed, however I never got a warm feeling when going through their interview processes. You almost felt like a criminal on trial at times, and didn’t really feel respected/wanted, despite being offered some really good packages. This made me realise that I had a bit too much pride and appreciation for my ability.

I knew I had a lot to offer, so I was keen to find a role at a smaller firm where I could get my hands dirty from the start. I landed my first proper job in March 2006, and I’m still there to this day (19+ years going strong). Ironically I ended up working on projects for highly respected global financial firms, so I got the best of both.