Meet Andrew, one of our Senior Software Engineers here at KUDO. Andrew brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team, as well as a passion and personality that makes him a joy to work with. We asked him some questions about both him and what led him to the role he’s in today.
How did you get into this industry?
I’ve always been interested in software, electronics, and renewables since I was young. As a kid, whilst on holiday in Wales, we used to go to the Centre for Alternative Technology, which looks at renewable ways to power homes.
On the software side, I used to modify games so I could introduce my own features, which made them more enjoyable. So, when I saw the job posting for a combination, I snatched up the opportunity the moment I could!
What does a typical day look like?
First thing is a glass of juice before logging in. I fire up my code editors and get stuck into a user story (a contained piece of work that expands the functionality of our applications).
From there, we have a morning coffee chat for some social time, our morning scrum where we talk about our day's work and if there is anything stopping us from working on our current tasks.
Then it’s fingers to the keyboard, and away we go!
What was your career path?
My path is a windy one. I trained as an electrician, worked in window manufacturing and fitting, then hospitality, retail, student representation, and finally software.
I have now climbed the ladder within software to become a Senior Software Developer for the KUDO team.
What’s an after-work hobby of yours?
Motorbikes! I may work at a PC all day, but I like to get my hands dirty as well!
I ride a bright yellow Yamaha MT07 which makes me smile every time I get on it!
What do you enjoy most about working at KUDO?
The small company atmosphere, we all know each other, and we all get along well.
Everyone supports one another, and teamwork comes naturally.
What’s the best career advice you have ever received?
A simple one, just go for it. I never thought with my lack of qualifications I would ever land in the industry I wanted to work in which is why I pursued so many other careers.
But after time at college (thank you Scottish education!) and my passion for computing I managed to get my job without my degree. Now that might be considered slightly controversial, but I strive for high-quality code in line with industry standards, it also helps being surrounded by outstanding software engineers here at KUDO!
What career advice would you give someone wanting to be in your role?
Our roles require constant learning, so absorb as much information as you can. Even a random bit of knowledge will come in helpful at the right time. Have fun, rebuild websites and applications and you will learn so much more than in a classroom.
If you take code from Stackoverflow or ChatGPT make sure to study it, don’t just take it and use it. Ask yourself what is it doing? Why is it doing that? It will make you a better software developer for it!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I have a list: Canada, Seattle, and New Zealand. The first two are because I have friends over there who I would love to visit for the first time as I run an online LGBTQ community.
New Zealand is the odd one out and I want to visit purely because I think the temperature climate would be perfect for me, not too hot and not too cold. I struggle in the heat and even Scottish summers are way too hot sometimes!
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