William Nyffeler, OpenBrolly
OpenBrolly in Forres have taken on William for a 12 month graduate placement in their technology consultancy.
What is your background?
I am French, grew up in Montpellier where I graduated (equivalent to an Honours Degree in English Linguistic and Literature) and came to Keith as a language assistant to teach at Keith grammar School 1982/1983.
I decided to settle here and after two years teaching part time at Aberlour House, preparatory school for Gordonston, I got a full time job at the local distillery. I worked my way up to Still Operator and left in 1995 to start my own business as a cabinet maker. I contracted Pneumonia in 2004 which put an end to my woodworking career.
In 2008 I joined the HNC computing course at Moray College, went on to HND Software Development, and eventually graduated with distinction: BSc Computing from UHI.
Why did you apply to the TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme?
I applied for this particular placement as it was exactly the type of job I was looking for. A small company operating from the north east of Scotland specialised in Software Development.
What project are you involved in?
I am involved in several projects, e.g. I contributed to enable the company's flagship product "MovieSite" to be used on mobile devices such as iPhone and iPad. I also research usability for Web Applications - as an example I am currently developing an interactive interface using google map programming language to enable users of our clients website to view data to filter information according to their geo-location.
What have you learned on placement so far?
My placement is a 12 months contract. I have, in the last 3 months, learned two new programming languages and how to use what were academic skills in a real working environment.
What have you taken away from the training course you attended as part of the Programme?
The training course was really enjoyable. It was nice to get some new angles in the world of business analysis which enhanced my existing experience. Bouncing ideas from each other does open new horizons.
What advice would you give to other graduates?
I understand that some placements are very short, may be only a few weeks. These are stepping stones. Make the most of it and get as much as you can from it. Get on LinkedIn. This is the place to advertise your skills.
Having had the experience of being stuck in well paying but otherwise boring jobs for years, more or less just for the money, I would strongly advise to choose something you love doing as a matter of priority. If you have a dream, go for it and don’t look back.