Taken a career break? Here's how to return to tech: The Very Group's Career Returners Programmed. Hear from Rabiya Rizwan, Quality Assurance Engineer and Christopher Dawes, Head of Academies at The Very Group as they give us the inside scoop on the programme, it's impact and how you could join.

You can reach out to Rabiya here and Chris here.

There's a reason why The Very Group keep winning awards for their work/life balance. Technology has played a huge part in helping The Very Group transition from a catalogue retailer to the UK's largest integrated online retailer and financial services provider over the last century, and their transformation is far from over. Right now, the team is growing, and they need great engineers to help provide a seamless digital customer experience. Offering great career progression, flexible working and excellent learning and development, they're currently hiring via hackajob. You can find out more about The Very Group here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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Chances are, you're probably listening to this on Spotify (forgive us if you're an Apple Podcast person!), but what's it actually like working there as a Software Engineer? We go behind the scenes and delve into the incredible work of Iris Schaffer, Senior Software Engineer at Spotify.

First up, we get firsthand insight from Iris about how becoming a developer became a viable career for her when she was quite young - and her advice for others just starting out.

Then we hear some of Iris' most controversial coding opinions.

Finally, we get into her time at Spotify, imposter syndrome, and how she's managed to progress exponentially.

You can reach out to Iris here.

Spotify needs no introduction, but there’s probably a lot you don’t know about them. Their mission is simple: to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creators the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it. If you’re wondering what it’s like to work at Spotify, then look no further. You can visit Spotify here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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There's hardly anyone out there who hasn't heard of Roku, but if you're one of the few - get into our latest episode of The DevLab Podcast featuring Neil Kraewinkels – Senior Software Engineer - at Roku.

First up, Neil discusses everything about Roku - including how he decided to join as a graduate and what attracted him to such an innovative and forward-thinking company. 

Next we get into what's helped Neil to grow as an engineer,  the most exciting projects he's worked on at Roku and what he's learnt about the industry,

Finally, we get the the inside scoop on how to craft your career as a manager that still loves to code.

You can reach out to Neil here.

Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the US, and their mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. Today, Roku streaming devices are used by millions of consumers in North America, Latin America and in parts of Europe including the UK, Ireland, and France.  Roku connects users to the streaming content they love, and are looking for budding and creative engineers to join their UK team. From your first day at Roku, you’ll make a valuable — and valued — contribution. They’re a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. Interested? Well, head on over to hackajob.co where you could be matched with them. You can visit Roku here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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DevOps Specialist Jennifer Opal joins us at The DevLab Podcast to talk all things tech, including her career at HelloSign, how the tech community has helped her and how she's managed to progress as a neurodiverse developer. 

We also touch upon being Black in Tech, best Dev Ops practices and what to do when you love your role but not the company.  Trust us, it's a good one!

Jennifer Opal is a multi-award winning DevOps Engineer, Technologist, Technical Blogger, Keynote Speaker & Neurodiversity & Inclusion Advocate based in the UK. She was the winner of the Tech Women 100 Awards 2020 & the Rising Star Award at the Black Tech Achievements Awards 2020.  She has been featured in Refinery29, The Guardian, BBC News, Silicon Republic & more. Jennifer co-authored a book called 'The Voices In The Shadow'; a book that showcases 51 stories of black women in tech, including her own. The book is being distributed in schools across the UK & Ireland as well as being sold globally. You can reach out to Jennifer on Twitter here and LinkedIn here. 

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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A 'definite optimist' with experience and interested in 'code, community and projects'. Yes, in the first episode of our third season of The DevLab Podcast, we’re joined by the one and only Jamshid Hashimi of CodeWeekend and spoiler alert: you're in for a treat.

We start with Jamshid discusses how he got into tech, and how a brief stint in blogging started his passion for community in tech.

Next he touches upon how he started CodingWeekend, and how this has underpinned much of his growth in tech and the types of projects he's been involved with since.

Finally, Jamshid gives us the inside scoop on what he's currently getting up to as well as some tips for all engineers looking to level up in their career.

You can reach out to Jamshid here.

CodeWeekend has emerged and evolved to be a web developer accelerator program that delivers training and mentoring program to help committed individuals learn how to code and find new or better jobs in the market. Based in Afghanistan, they're making waves globally. You can visit CodeWeekend here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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Jordan Cooper from Moneyhub joins us for this next episode of The DevLab Podcast, and we were certainly in for a treat!

We start by delving deep into Jordan's history in tech, including all of the many learnings he has had over the years and an insight into his alternative route into tech.

Next, Jordan touches upon his most recent and exciting projects at Moneyhub as well as how he developed and progressed using Javascript, so all Javascript lovers, users and enthusiasts, buckle up.

Last but certainly not least, Jordan gives us a fresh look at what's popping in tech, what he's finding interesting and why he joined Moneyhub.

Moneyhub is an Open Finance data, intelligence, and payments platform. ​​As a group of developers, financial experts, and optimists, they share a vision for improving the financial wellness of people, their businesses, and their communities. They started their company with the aim of changing how the industry used and viewed data. As architects of Open Banking, Open Finance, and Open Data, Money Hub strives to be a force for good—changing the status quo of how businesses interact with people. Jordan Cooper is a Software Engineer at Moneyhub with a passion for solving problems and making software easier to use. You can reach out to Jordan here. 

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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With over 3 decades of experience in the Tech Industry, Hazel Olivier is one DevLab Podcast guest you don't want to miss. Join us for this episode to find out her thoughts and insights on the Tech Sector over the years, how we can improve progression for Developers and what she's learned.
 
We get started with Hazel's journey into tech, including how an encounter with a manager left her more ambitious than ever, and how we can close the gaps between developers and managers.

Next, Hazel shares her tips for improving diversity, including reaching new audiences.

Finally, Hazel lets us in on current industry trends, with some interesting conclusions.

A career with Bally’s means starting on a path to endless possibilities. Their growing business is a place where you can excel and they are in search of service-minded individuals who are looking for a place to build and grow. A place to truly make a difference. If you are looking to be challenged in an exciting and fast-paced environment, this is the place for you! You can find out more about them by signing up to hackajob.co 

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you.

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Join us for this new episode of The DevLab Podcast, where we're joined by the one-and-only Robert Greville of Vodafone. With a decade of experience with Vodafone, he gives us the inside scoop including some of their most exciting projects and, more importantly, how you could join their organisation.

We start by finding out Robert's journey into tech, what made Vodafone stand out, and of course, why he has stayed there for so long.

Next we get a sneak peek at some of their most exciting projects, including VOXI.

Last, but certainly not least, we get insights into how anyone with an interest in tech,  can join Vodafone, and what progression awaits them.

You can reach out to Robert here.

As one of the world's leading mobile communications providers, Vodafone has been a leading force in technology for decades. There’s a reason they’ve stayed ahead: they innovate, invent and continuously improve, and now they want you to join them. Vodafone UK Digital works within the heart of their business and empowers Vodafone’s mission of being a digital-first company in everything they do. You can find out more about them here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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From the study of eyes to being an Account Manager to landing a Software Developer role with Thoughtworks – Cynthia's tech journey has been like no other and we're excited to get into it in this latest episode of The DevLab Podcast.

First, we find out how Cynthia made the career change of her life: what prompted it, how she funded it and her tips for all those looking to start off in tech.

Next, we learn more about the tech stack, projects and mission of Thoughtworks and what you can expect if you join their team (good news: they're hiring via hackajob!)

Lastly, we get an insight into representation, and what it's like as a Black Woman in Tech. You can reach out to Cynthia here.

Ready to join ​​a community of passionate, purposeful individuals revolutionising software design and delivery while advocating for positive social change? Then get ready for Thoughtworks. You’ll create your own path: whether that means mastering one skill; learning new tech stacks; or completely changing direction, from Dev to BA (or vice versa). Career paths at ThoughtWorks are unique and don’t mean stepping away from the tech, ever. You can visit them here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you.

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For our latest episode of The DevLab Podcast, we're joined by Joseph Crane from The Very Group. Not only is he a Senior Cloud Native Engineer, but he also has his own Games Development company that he runs with friends. 

Joe first takes us into the world of tech development at The Very Group, including why he joined, has stayed and what he is looking forward to.

Next, he details his work with his game company Shelf (links below), and his route into tech, including how he juggles the demands of working full time whilst also creating and building Shelf with his friends.

Finally, he gets into working at The Very Group during the Pandemic, the changes he saw and what he is looking forward to in tech.

You can reach out to Joseph here and more about Shelf here:

https://shelf.itch.io/

https://shelf.itch.io/afternoon-spaghetti

https://twitter.com/decentshelf

There's a reason why The Very Group were the only retailer to appear in Glassdoor’s top list of places to work for work/life balance. Not only are they an ambitious business that are going places, but they’re also absolutely committed to looking after their people and making Very the best possible place to work in tech. . You can find out more about them here and also here.

If you have any questions about this episode, please email ‘[email protected]’ and we’ll get back to you. 

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