As a budding software engineer in my second year at university, the competition for effective, meaningful work experience is intense. My internship application tally is over 50, and half of those are for roles I wouldn’t even enjoy. Major job boards are swamped by the usual suspects - big banks and behemoths of the industry with little opportunity to connect with the recruiters. While personal projects are useful for developing skills beyond the curriculum, the experience of industry practices and senior knowledge just isn’t there.

I was very fortunate to land myself a role in the launch of StartupGradJobs. Reaching out to the host of a podcast who knew nothing of me led to a meeting about student opinions and then the opportunity to work on the project. Cam definitely took a gamble letting me get my hands on the codebase but I think it’s been mutually beneficial. Working alongside an experienced developer has taught me practical skills quicker than any course ever could, while having some of the coding handled for him has allowed Cam to be more business-focussed. This is the beauty of small teams and startups.

A shared excitement for the project gives everybody freedom to contribute in a way that suits them. The close teamwork and individual responsibility gives rise to countless opportunities for personal growth. This environment not only offers the most exciting ideas, but also breeds experimentation and ingenuity. If this opportunity was available to every university student I would say take it, take it, take it. The unfamiliar challenges with no safety net is extreme but exciting and provides a complete contrast to traditional junior roles.

StartupGradJobs focuses specifically on connecting juniors with these environments. Once you find a project which interests you or allows you to turn your passions into productivity, you’ll utilise your full potential without even thinking about it.

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