We caught up with Eva from Graphcore to find out about her background, what encouraged her to apply to her role and to hear her advice for anyone thinking of applying to the firm.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I did an integrated Masters in Computer Science at the University of Bristol. In my holidays I completed internships including running a kid’s coding camp and working for FiveAI, a self-driving car company. These experiences helped me to figure out what I was most passionate about and were what drove me to apply for the role as a Graduate Product Support Engineer at Graphcore.
What stood out to you about Graphcore when applying for opportunities?
I’d interacted with the company at university fairs and employer events including a STEM women’s open day, so I was familiar with them when exploring opportunities. From these events, I had felt inspired, and they had created such a positive impression of the company that I knew I needed to apply.
The people I’d interacted with from Graphcore had all been friendly and helpful, this open and welcoming environment is something I was looking for in a firm. Combined with this, I liked that my role would be customer-facing where I could work on small projects and interact with clients. I knew that this would be an exciting opportunity where I could constantly work on new things and overcome new challenges.
How did you find the application process for Graphcore?
The application process started with the submission of a CV and cover letter. Following this, I completed a video interview and a coding challenge. Progressing from this led me to the final stage which consisted of a technical interview, a behavioural interview, a Q&A and a presentation. The Q&A was a great opportunity to get inside insights from current employees into what life at the company was like and get to know the company culture.
Throughout the process I was made to feel valued, receiving phone calls from the Graphcore team to keep me up to date with my progress and what to expect next. This high level of communication gave me a brilliant perception of the company and kept me more relaxed through the process.
What is a ‘normal day’ like in your role?
I follow a ticket process, meaning I am assigned a ticket that I will be working on. Tickets are received from customers and are focused on a particular issue such as a recurrent error or unclear documentation and my job is to solve these problems while keeping the customer updated in the process. Typically, I run code to help me identify where the issue is before delving deeper to find its root cause. I like this process as tickets are allocated based on your skills and preferences, so I can work on what I am most passionate about and ensure that I deliver the greatest results for clients. This also gives me the ability to learn new frameworks and technologies I’ve not worked on before.
My role is quite different to what people expect from a Software Engineer role as it is quite customer-facing. I interact with different clients daily to understand their problems and generate solutions to meet their needs.
How would you describe the culture at Graphcore?
The culture here is a friendly and welcoming one where everyone works together in a collaborative environment. People here are always looking to learn new things and seek to drive better results, so knowing that I can approach anyone for help is brilliant.
What piece of advice would you give to someone who is thinking of applying to Graphcore?
If you don’t have particular technical expertise, it’s still worth applying. Be honest about your current level of knowledge and demonstrate that you are willing to learn because this will demonstrate that you’re truly interested in the role. You don’t have to be an expert when starting a job, just show that you’ll commit your time to grow and develop.
A highly sought-after skill at Graphcore is problem-solving, think about how you have demonstrated this and bring this to light in your interview.
Finally, if you’re thinking about applying but aren’t sure if it’s right for you, reach out to people so you can find out more and explore the options available.
Why not explore where a career with Graphcore could take you? Discover their profile here.