A Day In The Life of a Software Engineer at KOMODO

To shed a little light on what it’s like to work at KOMODO, we’ve introduced a series of content featuring the very people who make the agency what it is: our talented people. 

First up, it’s Software Engineer, Sarah Heanan, who joined the KOMODO team around 18 months ago… Over to you, Sarah!

I was delighted to be offered a role with KOMODO in 2020, just before the pandemic started, as a Software Engineer.

When looking for a role I was keen to find somewhere which would support flexible working arrangements, as I need to work around my family commitments, however, I didn’t want to compromise on the quality of the work I was doing either, as I’m keen to keep growing in my career.

Finding a role in the development field which supports both of these things wasn’t easy, but KOMODO fit the bill perfectly. I knew from their reputation I was going to have the chance to work on some great projects and since joining, I can confirm that’s definitely the case!

I currently work a 4 day week and am working on up to date tech stacks and learning every day.

As a Software Engineer within the PHP team, I generally work on projects created within the Laravel Framework. It’s primarily back-end work, as you might expect, with the odd bit of JavaScript or UI thrown in.

As a team we estimate our workload, divide it into features and then my focus for the day would usually be on one or two of these features, resulting in a varied workload which keeps things interesting.

What do you love most about working at KOMODO?

KOMODO has provided me with ongoing opportunities to learn and develop. I not only have access to any learning resource I have requested (including Laracasts and Udemy courses) but learn day-to-day through the tasks I have undertaken and from my colleagues.

I also love the creative freedom. My work is, of course, reviewed by colleagues and my line manager, but there is no micromanagement whatsoever and it’s really all about collaboration. Most of the time we can pick up the tasks from our Jira board that we feel would suit us but approach the problem in our own way, whilst being mindful of coding standards, maintainability, scalability etc.

KOMODO has a great bunch of people - if you should have any issues they are all very approachable. And so far I’ve always had recognition for a job well done.

I’m also fortunate to work with talented people always willing to share insight. If I’m ever struggling with something, there are a number of Slack channels to post on, and my colleagues are super helpful and will normally have a suggestion or two!

What do you get up to on a typical day? 

A typical day for me might look a bit like this:

As soon as I arrive at the office, I like to head to the studio kitchen and get a strong coffee - and maybe a snack if I’ve not managed to grab breakfast (there is usually a selection available for all). Then I head to my desk, have a quick catch up with my project team and check my email and Slack.

Following this, I’ll either get stuck into yesterday’s task or check out our Jira board for something new. The morning continues like this, with the odd interruption and laugh - our office banter is pretty strong. I tend not to wear headphones for this reason - unless I really need to concentrate!

At lunchtime I always go for a short walk around the city centre to clear my head, then it’s generally lunch at my desk whilst watching a YouTube video or reading, or out on the terrace if the weather is decent. Unless we are celebrating a win, in which case we all head out as a team to celebrate.

Afternoons at KOMODO tend to be focused on getting the job done unless we have a team meeting. It's a fairly relaxed atmosphere and pace though - you are generally trusted to manage your own time. I might review a few pull requests in the afternoon to break things up a little.

Give us one pearl of wisdom you’d like to share with someone considering applying for a role at KOMODO

Keep learning and keep up to date with technology/the industry. We like to follow good practices to produce great software. I’d also advise someone with a family, like myself, who may need more flexibility, to not be afraid to ask for it. It’s refreshing to work for an agency where senior management understands the importance of quality of life outside the office as they do the quality of work.

Oh, and a grasp of sarcastic humour and penchant for excessive .gif use would also come in handy!