Laura, Oxford, Chemistry (DPhil)
Within a year of starting my DPhil, I had decided that a life in academia was not for me. However, I had really enjoyed writing the simple FORTRAN programs central to my work, so I started looking into jobs in the software engineering area. There were four main requirements for my perfect job:
1. Interesting, challenging work where excellence is valued
2. No experience required but still starting real world work fast
3. Sociable, fun and honest atmosphere
4. Nice area to live (and short commute!)
Ensoft looked like it might fit the bill. The application process was easy: I already had a CV so I tidied it up a bit and looked up what an aptitude test might entail. I got an interview and, conveniently, it was held just 5 minutes walk from my flat! It was my first ever job interview (at 26 years old!) so I was a bit nervous, but in both interviews the directors put me at ease.
The interviews felt like more of a friendly chat to get to know my general life view than a difficult technical grilling.
When the job offer came through I was already half way through the interview process for another company. Ensoft were really understanding, giving me plenty of time to make up my mind and inviting me to spend a few hours at the office to meet people look around. I made the decision to take the job based mostly on the fact that I liked the vibe and I have not regretted it.
The work here is very varied and no two weeks will have the same balance of design, coding, testing and customer support, keeping things fresh and interesting. Because the company is quite small you can take on responsibility early, but there is a well defined chain of support so that you are never on your own if things go wrong or you get stuck.
Everyone is really helpful and very good at their jobs. This encourages me to improve and also gives me the means to do so as whatever I want to know about there is an expert just on the other side of the room willing to help. We are actively encouraged to direct our own career paths and, with regular appraisal and feedback input from everyone involved up to and including the directors, I'm confident that all my professional ambitions will be realised.
Ensoft is quite a revelation to me socially. I had always assumed that once you left university your social life would be pretty much over - or at least seriously reduced.
But Ensoft has the social scene of a mini Oxford college: twice weekly football, cinema trips, cricket team, friday lunches, thursday breakfasts, "whole company" celebrations, gigs in London, walking trips and (very!) regular pub trips.
I think it's especially good that the social scene evolves naturally because people want to spend time together, not because they are forced to for "team building" like in so many other places. One thing which I only realised when it was mentioned at interview was that there are noticeably more male than female employees currently working in the company! Its not been a problem at all (liking football helped!) but there's such a wide range of interests and so many overlapping social groups that most of the time I just forget about it completely!
Ensoft pay me well to do something I find interesting with people I like: working at Ensoft is everything my perfect job should be and I can recommend it without reservation.