Name: Esther Millar
Role: Graduate Embedded Software Engineer
I studied Software and Electronic Systems Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast before starting as a graduate at Civica in Belfast in September 2021.
What does your typical day look like?
My day is usually a mixture of fixing bugs (and occasionally creating them), writing tests, developing new features for a project or reading up on protocols or packages we are using or implementing. We do a lot of pair programming so my day will often have a call or in-person debugging session with someone else on the team and of course several cups of tea.
What are you currently working on?
I’m part of the Embedded Engineering Team at Civica which mostly creates software for networking hardware. I’m currently working on integrating an existing protocol with our stack so that users will be able to remotely configure network devices running our software.
What inspired you to join this company in particular?
I first heard about Civica in my first year of university and applied to the scholarship program. I really enjoyed my placement year with Civica and couldn’t wait to come back as a graduate. I really value the time that is invested in training new starts on my team and the opportunity to work on interesting projects.
Did you always want to work in this industry (tech)?
No, I never really considered it until I was choosing my A-levels. I’ve always been quite a creative person and I really liked Maths and Physics at school and it turned out engineering was a way to do both.
What’s your favourite part about your work?
I really like the sense of satisfaction you get when you solve a particularly difficult problem and the opportunity to learn new things every day.
What would you say to other people considering a job in this industry (tech)?
This industry is a really exciting and interesting place to work and if you want to get up and do something different and meaningful every day, I couldn’t recommend it enough.
Who inspired you to work in this field?
No one person really did, but I have to thank my Mum and career’s advisor for talking me into taking GCSE physics, I think that was the first of many nudges which got me where I am today.
What do you consider to be the most important tech innovation or development in recent years?
The roll-out of full-fibre broadband is a development that we increasingly take for granted but it is the bedrock for all the exciting innovations we’re talking about today. Continuing to make fast, reliable internet connections available is what is going to allow everyone to benefit from new technologies.
What tech gadget could you not live without?
I would, quite literally, be lost without my Sat Nav (or Google Maps).
