I Got Hired: Data Integrations Engineer at Enable

Posted on: 17 November 2023 by Richard Finch in Graduate stories

Samuel Minihane is a Class of 2022 Theoretical Physics graduate, now working a Data Integrations Engineer at Enable.

I heard about the opportunity through a standard job posting website. I emailed the company directly to express my interested and attached my CV.

I started as an Implementation Analyst in August of 2022, right after graduating. Within a couple of months there was an opportunity for me to take the lead on some projects. After 6 months at Enable, I was promoted to Experienced Implementation Analyst, which was a massive achievement for me.

Since starting at Enable, I had the opportunity to get involved with more technical topics. From writing complex SQL reports for clients to writing scripts to automate tasks and transform data. This led me down the path to up-skill during the evenings after work.

Recently, I have been promoted to a Data Integrations Engineer, and now I get to do the things I love the most full-time.

My favourite experience as part of my career after graduating was when I was recently able to undertake a secondment working as a data integrations engineer. For those who aren't familiar, a secondment is taking a temporary position in a role which is different to your usual role. I had never worked in a full-time engineering capacity before, and in the month of my secondment, I felt like I had learned more than I had in the previous 6 months of independent study. This experience was pivotal in me landing a full time position as a Data Integrations Engineer,

The most challenging part of my graduate journey was up-skilling to make a career move. As much as I love programming, spending evenings after work studying to make the move was very intense. As challenging as this was, I knew that it was necessary to get my career on the track I wanted it to be on. I feel very fortunate to work at a company where I am so supported by my colleagues and management.

My top 3 tips for current students and recent graduates:

1. Explore opportunities you have never considered - I would imagine that 99% of university students have never heard of an 'Implementation Analyst'. I certainly hadn't. But taking that role has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
   
   
2. Make sure that the companies you apply for have values and a culture which align with you. If you're going to be working 40 hours a week, It's important that you feel like you're somewhere you belong.
   
   
3. Consider a start-up company - A lot of the opportunities I have had have come from working at a tech start-up. If you're like me and are looking to take on as much responsibility as possible very early on in your career, I highly recommend looking into start-ups which are providing a product that you think offers real value and are on a mission you can really get behind."