1. What made you apply to Citrix and what was it like starting your role?
We had a talk by Citrix at the University of York and it just sounded like a really exciting place to work. The opportunity to work on products which go out to millions of customers as well as within a friendly culture was something that really appealed to me. It was great as 15 graduates started at the same time and so we went through all the formal training in the first 4 weeks together. There have been lots of social events since, and when that many people are in the same boat as you, it’s easier to get through the scary start to a job. I previously interned at a small company which is a little more daunting on your own so a big reason for applying was that I started Citrix with a group of graduates the same as me.
2. Have you been able to apply the theory you've learnt at uni into a practical, real world environment?
Yeah, definitely. From doing a Masters in Computer Science I'd been doing a lot of software engineering and programming for various different modules and I've found this very useful day to day. A lot of the stuff I'm doing I haven't done before, especially with new technologies, which, although challenging, I like a lot.
3. What is a typical day at Citrix like?
I get in between 9-9:30 and have breakfast, which is provided! I'll usually read some emails and then we'll have our team stand up. We're a team of 4 people which allows us to talk about our tasks for the day so we are able to understand what all parts of the team are up to. The working hours are very flexible so the time I'll take lunch changes depending what I'm working on. I am even able to sometimes squeeze in a game of table tennis! The afternoons usually involve quite a few meetings or I will continue work on the various projects that are going on at the time.
4. What projects have you been involved in during your time at Citrix?
After the first 4 weeks of classroom training we then get put into a team and you essentially work with the rest of the team on what they're doing. I started off working on a project for a Slackbot, which can do lots of little things to help out with manual tasks. That was a great project to start on. I've been doing lots of things to do with a testing platform, which is an automated platform which builds up and stores all the different Citrix products which other people can take and use.
5. What has been the most enjoyable aspect of your role at Citrix?
Every quarter we have a 'Hackathon' where we get two days to work on a project that isn't directly related to our team, so we can choose anything innovative. You get provided with pizza and beer and get to work on exciting projects. I've really enjoyed the ones I've done! We also have the annual Tech Fair, where we get to take the projects we've been working on in the Hackathons and present it at a conference to other people in the company. That was a real highlight. Citrix also arranges cycling groups and lunch time running groups which you have the option to join in on.
6. What advice would you give to anyone looking to apply to Citrix?
Just go for it! The initial application form is short, you don't have to write a two page essay. I found everyone very friendly along every stage of the process. The assessment day was really well organised and not scary at all. Everyone makes you feel really welcome.
7. Has your graduate scheme at Citrix helped you determine your career direction?
I definitely know that I want to carry on down this career path now. After the first 6 months I started developing thoughts about the areas that I wanted to focus on. We all work with our managers to deduce which areas we'd like to work on allowing yourself to follow a path that interests you.
Find out more about opportunities at Citrix here.