My name is Stavroula Niarchou and I have just completed my foundation degree in software engineering at the Belfast Metropolitan college. In January 2024 I started my industry placement with Fluent Technology as a Software Developer Intern. Now that I am approaching the end of my placement, I decided to take some time to reflect on my experiences and what I have learned.
Throughout my placement, I worked alongside the development team to add new features and quality of life improvements to Fluent’s grant management system: Flexigrant. This included developing an internal tool for the Implementation team that would allow them to enable certain features for clients, which removed a previous requirement of contacting the engineers. Additionally, I was provided with the opportunity to contribute to the company’s roadmap and take part in many facets of the development lifecycle. It has proven a truly unique and exciting experience to see my work go into production and knowing it could improve a user’s experience with the platform!
Moreover, I feel that my time with Fluent has proven invaluable in helping me develop the skills which are necessary for every software engineer such as problem solving, research, and communication as part of a team. I also realised that a big challenge, as an engineer, is learning to be adaptable. On multiple occasions I had to rethink an approach to a task, and discuss the issue with other team members, who were all fantastic in providing me with advice and guidance! In fact, there were a couple of occasions where I had to start from scratch, after gaining a fresh perspective. However, it was these challenging situations that really helped me get to grips with new technologies and learn how to apply best practices.
The culture in Fluent exceeded my expectations as I found myself amongst incredibly warm, friendly and helpful colleagues. The communication with the team members and my mentor was excellent throughout, with everyone taking the time to help me when I was roadblocked, answer my questions, and share their knowledge. As a result, I feel that I was able to contribute towards the team achieving sprint goals and I feel genuinely proud of my contributions during my time here. Additionally, this has instilled a sense of confidence within me, as I have grown comfortable contributing to discussions and working within a professional development environment.
My placement with Fluent has made me realize how much I enjoy this job, including its daily challenges. For now, my next stop is Ulster university where I will finish my undergraduate degree before I embark on the lifetime learning journey that is software engineering. It is my hope that I will be fortunate enough to find myself working and collaborating with great people, like the team I was lucky enough to meet here in Fluent!
