Ross Deegan began his engineering career at Personio after he graduated. Here, he shares his experience and the skills he has learned so far.
Not every graduate goes into a specific programme when they enter the working world. Some find entry-level roles that help them hit the ground running instead.
Ross Deegan studied management science and information systems at Trinity College Dublin. He then looked for engineering roles and said a key priority for him was to find a company with a strong culture.
He now works as a junior full-stack engineer at Personio. “During the interview process with Personio, I learned about the employee advisory board – a panel of Personio employees who ensure that the voices of employees are heard during every large company decision which affects them,” he said.
“As well as this, another factor which separated Personio from other companies in Ireland for me was their investment in charitable and environmental causes, for example through the Personio Foundation.”
‘From the get-go, I was fully integrated into my team’
– ROSS DEEGAN
Can you describe a typical day in your role?
The complex tasks and issues we tackle change day to day, but our structure remains broadly the same. At the start of the day, we make sure that we address any tasks or issues that may have occurred overnight or that are carried over from the day before.
After that we like to sync as a team, allowing us to set out our tasks for the day. This is very useful for me as a relatively new member of the team, as it provides me with an opportunity to flag if I need any additional support on a new task.
For the rest of the day, we work on customers’ technical issues to make sure we are providing the best customer experience, while remaining aligned and connected as a team.
Have your responsibilities and workload changed as you progressed?
From the get-go, I was fully integrated into my team, working alongside product managers and senior engineers. Although it seemed scary at first, Personio’s non-bureaucratic structure allowed me to pick up skills and learn from experienced members of the team really quickly.
This has aided me in my career development, enabling my role to become increasingly exploratory – meaning I am trusted to solve more vague and complex customer issues, which is exciting!
How do you think this role has made you more prepared for working life?
At Personio we work as a team and are all aligned around a central goal to improve our customer experience.
It’s this ethos which has equipped me with the right skills and attitude to develop products and services quickly and efficiently.
As well as these fundamental skills, I have also learned advanced technical ones, equipping me for my engineering career, such as AWS and Kotlin programming language.
Would you recommend a graduate position at Personio to others?
I would definitely recommend a graduate position at Personio to anyone considering it. The supportive culture fosters a positive and collaborative attitude to work, meaning you not only get to enjoy working with your team but you also learn a lot from them – helping to aid career progression and promote a fulfilling work life.
The focus on collaboration, not just within individual teams but also across the wider company, means you get a real insight into how your role fits in and supports teams across the whole business.
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