#GradStories Fionnuala O'Malley, Software Engineer, Fidelity Investments

What does a typical day look like for you?

A large portion of my day is spent delivering code for Fidelity products and services. I start the day with a morning check in with my team and we talk about the task that I’m working on. I give an update about what I have been working on and what I plan to work on and if there’s any issues blocking me from making progress. I then write the code for the tasks along with the necessary unit and automation tests. The code is then reviewed by other developers. If they’re happy, the code is then deployed to the appropriate testing environment.

What skills do you need to be successful in your role?

You need to determine the best way to implement the best way to implement the piece of software and be a creative problem solver that can sift through code and identify the origin of a bug and decide on the best solution.

You also need to understand complex code and explain a solution to other team members regardless of their technical background. We work as part of a team so there’s a high level of communication and collaboration required. I myself work as part of a global team. I’ll communicate with many team members such as other developers, UX designers, systems analysts and project owners. Therefore, effective communication is a key skill in this job.

How did you find out about the role?

My journey started in 2018 when I graduated with a BA in IT and History from NUI Galway I then pursued a higher diploma in software design and environment. Our team received the IT project of the year award in the BA information technology stream. At the award ceremony, there were a number of industry sponsors present. I asked the Fidelity sponsor about the opportunities available for IT graduates because I had heard great things about Fidelity. They told me about the LEAP technology immersive graduate programme which is a four-month programme that combines classroom training with real world projects. The classroom training helped ensure an easy transition from college.

What advice would you have for students?

I would encourage students to take advantage of the resources provided by their university. When I was a student working on a coding assignment, I would implement a solution, and try to improve on it. I would then ask the lab tutor for feedback and apply that to the solution.

What do you love about your job?

I love that I’m constantly learning about new technologies, languages, tools, frameworks. There’s also a great culture at Fidelity and there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved in different events.

How have you adjusted to working from home?

Fidelity did a really good job in assisting us with the transition to working from home. So, it was the case of everyone is on the same boat.