Your Team Mates: Laurence Rackham
After seven years of being a student, and nearing the completion of my PhD, it was finally time to
find a job! I knew that there wouldn’t be many companies who would be interested in the content of my PhD (you won’t
find me looking at my thesis on a day-to-day basis!) but I wanted somewhere that would could utilise my skills in
tackling interesting problems and quickly understanding new concepts. "
– LAURENCE RACKHAM
Cambridge University
Graduated 2003
Metaswitch stood out for me because they have no restrictions except they are looking for top-quality candidates. In addition, there is also the opportunity to socialise with other like-minded new-starters, spend your first few months living in a company house near the office and chase a ball around a patch of grass at lunchtimes. It is the sort of place where you can find yourself discussing a technical problem with someone one day and shooting them with a laser gun from behind a tree in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside the next.
And then there’s the work. One of the things that first struck me about Metaswitch is they strive very hard to be efficient. That’s good news for them (and is a major factor in why they are such a successful company) and that’s good news for you. As a general rule you will have to work hard, but not for a ridiculous number of hours, and during your first few months a lot of time will be invested in improving your communication and technical skills.
So how do you go about obtaining one of these jobs? I guarantee you’ll find the recruitment process quite
refreshing. Unlike a lot of other places I applied for, they won’t spend three months reading your application form
and when you come to interview you’ll get the sense that they are as interested in selling the company to you as in
your ability to sell yourself to them. Finally, if you do get offered the job they’ll be very flexible about when
you start. For me that meant I was able to have a break to recover from all that time being a student!