3 min read · Sep 27, 2019
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Fancy a job on IT’s frontline? Nick Dunkley, a Senior Software Engineer in BGL’s Tech Ops team reveals what it takes to be a helpdesk hero:
I joined BGL more than 11 years ago after travelling around Australia for a year, taking up what I thought was a temporary job in the Coventry call centre. Around a year in, I heard about a new IT academy being set up. Having previously worked in and having a passion for IT, I saw this as a great opportunity to move back into the field I loved.
I successfully completed the initial tests, and became a trainee developer under the guidance of a senior developer in Coventry. The help I received during this time was amazing and it really made BGL a great place to work.
After relocating to Peterborough, I continued the path of a developer to the position I am in today — Senior Software Engineer within the line 3 support team in Tech Ops.
The support team in Tech Ops is a little different to the other delivery teams in that we spend most of our time investigating issues on the system. The issues we are looking at are, most of the time, hidden deep within the code, this means that we must have exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills. Alongside this we also have a ‘fast responder’, who for a week at a time is the go-to contact for all live issues.
These can range from payments not going through, journeys being down or not working, partners and/or us not receiving files or they are corrupted as well as any contact centre operations.
As a fast responder, you really don’t know what you could be working on day-by-day, even hour-by-hour, so you need to have an agile approach to your work whenever you are on this task.
We also have a few business critical monthly assignments which require work to the live system, so having confidence in your job and double checking your work are essential.
All of the above means this team has a massive amount of responsibility to keep the systems up and running and you really don’t ever know what you could be working on, and even if you do that could change in a heartbeat.
To be effective in the support team you need to have:
- Experience of developing, enhancing and supporting application systems
- Knowledge of development methodologies
- Excellent communication skills - good interpersonal and influencing skills
- Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Be service-oriented and customer-focused
- Be highly-organised
- Thrive under pressure
- Be adaptable
Knowing the change/fixes we do are helping the system to run smoothly, which gives the customer the best possible journey as well as the variety of work are what I love about my job.
Tech Ops is a great place to work as you have the opportunity to grow the skills and knowledge you want. The flexible working that has been introduced at BGL gives you the opportunity to work your own hours that fit around your day as well as the chance to work from home.
