Tech Trailblazers

Tech Trailblazers: Matthew McKee

  • Name: Matthew McKee

    Job title: Associate Technical Consultant, Version 1

    Education: Graduated from Ulster University in 2018 with a 2:1 Bachelor’s degree in Computing with Internet Systems.

    What does your typical day look like?

    We have our daily huddle each morning and speak of our agendas for the day/pressing issues. Our Technical manager speaks with us regarding our work stack and priorities for the day. I start to work assisting users with live issues and seeking solutions. In the afternoon, we have another huddle call with the client’s Software development team leader to discuss our stack and high priority issues/monthly release.

    What are you currently working on?

    In my role, I get a much exposure to a lot of tech, which in my opinion as a young IT professional is awesome. I am currently working on development of a report using Java and SQL. Using the Vaadin framework, developing a Java web app which connects to email servers to display information for end users. Daily, I work on data changes, where I get the opportunity to troubleshoot live issues. I am getting introduced to next generation releases including new cutting edge tech such as angular.

    What inspired you to join this company in particular?

    Version 1 is a company which is different to others, driven by their core values. These core values are: Honesty and Integrity, Personal commitment, No ego, Customer First, Excellence and Drive. All employees share these values and it makes the company a great place to work with a super working atmosphere which makes work fun in my opinion.

    Version 1 partners with leaders in global tech which includes Amazon web services, Microsoft and Oracle. Knowing that the company have been accredited by all their global tech partners is a motivating factor as you get to work with the best tech in the world.

    Did you always want to work in this industry (tech)?

    Since Grammar school, I developed a keen interest in IT and always looked forward to ICT class as I always seemed to have a good understanding of the subject and excelled in it. I always helped my family out with issues they would be having with phones, iPads, TVs etc.

    What’s your favourite part about your work?

    My favourite part about work is how you are presented with a problem from an end user who a lot of the time doesn’t have a technical background and you have to communicate with them to understand the requirements of the task. I get a great deal of independence, developing a solution and gain a great deal of satisfaction when the end-user/business is content with the solution provided and seeing the solution go live.

    What would you say to other people considering a job in this industry (tech)?

    I would definitely recommend it. You are faced with different problems regularly and need to find the solution to the problem. You never get bored in this industry as tech is changing on a regular basis, you are learning every day. In my job, I get to work with senior experts whether this be with regards to Java or Oracle E-Business suite. It all depends on your drive and motivation but in tech there is so much ever-ending learning which makes it so fun to work in.

    How do you see this technology impacting on our lives?

    Technology impacts our life in a daily basis. For example, browsing the internet to retrieve information such as a train time, to reserve a table for a restaurant, to complete shopping for food or a new purchase.

    Who inspired you to work in this field?

    My Uncle inspired me to work in the tech industry. As I was growing up, my Uncle as a software engineer and was working in different places all over the world from London to Silicon Valley and this interested me in tech, the industry enables you to potentially work all over the world.

    What do you consider to be the most important tech innovation or development in recent years?

    Artificial intelligence. AI is an important part of modern society and impacts our daily lives massively. This tech innovation has led to significant breakthroughs in healthcare and manufacturing.

    What tech gadget could you not live without?

    My Garmin S60 GPS watch for golf. This super intuitive watch offers me a view of each hole on the golf course and offers awesome features such a distance to the whole and post-match analysis.

    About the author

    Brendan is a Sync NI writer with a special interest in the gaming sector, programming, emerging technology, and physics. To connect with Brendan, feel free to send him an email or follow him on Twitter.

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