Sunny Carter: Metaswitch Networks manager
Job: support projects manager
Employer: Metaswitch Networks
Qualifications: MEng mechanical engineering and German, University of Nottingham (1999)
I wanted a career that used my problem-solving and analytical skills. After university I applied for both engineering and IT jobs; of those I was offered, the IT one sounded the most interesting. I worked for a company that develops computer software for schools, helping to write maths cartoons for primary school children. I’d hardly used a computer before, but I learned to use Flash to put the animations together.
A developer role
After 18 months I was made redundant. I didn’t have enough transferable IT experience to apply for experienced-hire positions, but had been out of university too long for graduate schemes. My brother worked for Metaswitch and encouraged me to apply – my lack of experience wasn’t an issue as the company focused on ability. I was successful and accepted a job as a developer. My training was tailored to my specific needs and I was assigned a mentor who gave me lots of support on the job to learn Java, C++, HTML and JavaScript.
Managing a team
I moved into a customer support role and have recently been promoted to manage the five-person ‘support projects’ team. We work on technical projects to make the lives of colleagues and clients easier. Currently we are developing a Java application with a central SQL database to provide our software engineers with one-click access to the projects that they are working on. This requires frequent updates as new projects emerge. We also run web-based portals for colleagues and clients to provide easy access to the documentation and manuals they need and to allow clients to post questions and communicate with each other.
I deal with incoming requests for work and prioritise these according to which will provide the most benefit. I coordinate the team’s work, assign tasks, catch up on progress and gather ideas for solving challenges. I provide technical mentoring to two recent graduates in the team, get involved in technical design work and talk to colleagues elsewhere in the organisation about how our projects will integrate with theirs.
The most challenging aspect is deciding what to prioritise. I talk a lot with the engineers and managers whose work would be affected, asking questions such as ‘What do you need most?’ and ‘What will save you the most time?’.
Life outside work
I spend almost all of my time at our open-plan office. I have flexibility in my working hours and opt for 10.00 am till 6.30 pm. My work/life balance is slightly harder to maintain now I manage a team, but is still excellent. I act with and help run my local drama group and am able, for example, to leave work an hour early during performance weeks, then make up the time the following week.
A growing industry
If you like problem solving and analytical work, I recommend a career in IT. It’s still a growing industry and there are jobs in lots of different parts of the country, which gives flexibility. Some of the other careers I considered were quite limited in terms of location.