Career Heroes - Sean Harkin

Tell us more about you

I’m Sean Harkin and as part of my degree in Computing Technologies I’ve undertaken a placement with NIE Networks in their IT Department.

When searching for a placement, I was looking for an IT role that had links to my university modules, which would allow me to gain experience and knowledge in these fields of work. I was also looking for an insight into the working life in an IT role to give myself more clarity on my future career path.

 

What kind of work do you do?

During a typical week, I spend Mondays and Tuesdays in Holywood with an app developer on the creation of a Near Miss App and Portal, which entails daily stand-ups, refinements and sprint reviews. I feel like I’m an integral part of the team.

On the Wednesday to the Friday I could be in the new Danesfort office or working from home and I use these days for any meetings related to ongoing work and tasks I have to update and progress. For example, I’m working closely with one of the project managers to create a leave system for external contractors on an application called Smartsheet and I’ve been working alongside another team member and colleagues from the health and safety team to create a Health and Safety Dashboard on Power BI.

How did you become a IT Placement Student?

Before my placement, I was very unsure what field I wanted to work in but I now have clarity on what I have more of an interest in and what I’m strongest at. I’ve also been able to develop my career goals as I have experienced different types of work environments and career paths.