Few and Far recently welcomed Joe Meredith to the team on a year long software development placement. Our Technical Director Tom sat down with Joe to ask him about his experience as an Placement Student so far and to see how he is getting on.

Tell the readers out there a little bit about yourself and your background in programming/software development?

Hello there!

I’m Joe, and my first exposure to programming was in early high school, where I was introduced to the Python programming language whilst studying computer science for my GCSEs. Outside the classroom, this new found intrigue quickly evolved into a passion for game development - a field which allowed me to practice my technical skills by building simple but fun games to play.

My interest in the software development industry continued to snowball as I progressed through education, and eventually, after completing my A-Levels, I began undertaking a degree in computer science at the University of Leeds. In the first two years of my studies at university, I’ve begun to get familiar with some of the core maths concepts that underpin the field of software engineering, and I also had my first taste of web development too!

What made you reach out to Few and Far specifically?

I first discovered Few and Far after coming across their job listing on the university’s online job board, MyCareer. Before applying, I did a healthy amount of research, something I did for all potential placements, which was to help me make a decision on whether I could see myself working at a given company.

I found myself immediately drawn to just how positive Few and Far’s mission and work was, and was greatly impressed by the quality of their current and former projects/websites they had produced. The thought of having the opportunity to contribute on projects with such a powerful positive impact was extremely enticing to me, and I didn’t hesitate in sending off my application that same day.

How did you find the interview process of joining an agency?

A few weeks after sending my initial application, I was invited to an introductory call. Any nerves I had prior were put at ease minutes into my first meeting with Tom, who gave me a really informative insight into Few and Far’s values, the work they do, and the tech stack they use for their current projects.

The first interview was followed up with a short, data-focused tech test that allowed me to showcase my technical and problem-solving skills using whichever technologies I was most comfortable with.

After the tech test, I was given the chance to meet Col, the Creative Director at Few and Far. We had a great chat about what working at Few and Far would be like, as well as what I was looking to get out of my placement year. I left the call feeling that working at Few and Far would mean that my development would be prioritised, and that making mistakes wouldn’t be frowned upon, but expected during the learning process throughout the year.

I had the chance to go into the office for my final stage interview, where I was given a warm welcome by the team. The visit started with a brief overview of Few and Far by Col, followed by a discussion with Tom about what a typical day as a placement software developer might look like. I was also shown some of the recent design work Cat had done for some of the charities on the Nurture programme, which was really cool!

Starting a new job can make people nervous of the unknown, it’d be great to share how you found your first day, and what you got up to.

On the days running up to starting at Few and Far, anxiousness and excitement grew in equal measure, as the uncertainty of starting my first job in the digital sector was both thrilling and terrifying. Having previously met Tom, Col and Cat in the closing stages of the interview process was a great help in reducing the stress of that first day, and I found the relaxed, welcoming vibe in the office to be super accommodating. Needless to say, any and all worries I had ahead of time were swiftly put to rest.

After a tour of the building, I got started on learning Laravel, the framework behind most of Few and Far’s projects. Not only did this acquaint me with the PHP programming language for the first time, it also exposed me to a few brand new software and web development concepts that I hadn’t come across during my education so far. If I ever got stuck or confused on a topic/aspect, Tom was always there to give a more thorough explanation and answer any remaining queries I may have had.

How have you found the first few months working at Few and Far, what’s been the most fun and what’s been the most unexpected aspect of working as a developer?

In the three months I’ve worked at Few and Far, the most enjoyable aspect has been the opportunity to learn a diverse array of both frontend and backend technologies such as Laravel, Statamic, Alpine.js, and Tailwind CSS. This has kept things feeling fresh, as I’m rarely stuck doing the exact same thing week-on-week.

Meeting with clients to discuss what we’ve implemented has also been fun, as it’s rewarding to see the positive impacts our work has on the charities and good causes that Few and Far partners with. It’s also been great to get an insight into how Few and Far works with these organisations to help boost their digital presence and maximise the impact that they have.

Prior to joining as a developer, I was completely unaware just how much of a collaborative process development is. Frontend development is inevitably intertwined with a website’s design, and so frequent communication with the designers is pretty paramount in achieving the intended creative vision for a project. This has actually become one of my favourite elements of my placement, as learning to work alongside both technical and creative individuals is something I hadn’t done before.

What are you looking forward to most over the next 10 months

I’m really keen to get stuck into more projects, as I’ve enjoyed tackling the unique quirks and challenges brought by each one. The difficulty of the projects I’ve been involved in has been gradually increasing over the three months I’ve been at Few and Far, and I’m really excited by this hopefully continuing throughout the rest of my placement. Each new task I come across gives me the chance to become more proficient in the technologies I’ve learnt so far, or uncovers the possibility of encountering a new one.

For any students out there who might be looking to find opportunities themselves, have you got any advice on where to start?

I’d definitely say utilising as many of the resources at your disposal is pretty key in order to find opportunities and meet with potential employers. If you’re at university, this means attending careers fairs, checking online job boards, and going to talks/events relevant to the industry you want to get into.

That being said, it’s vital to fully think about and consider each company and role you go for, instead of just blindly reaching for that ‘Apply’ button; being fired up about what you do can really help dispel those Monday morning blues!

A day in the life: Meet Joe and read his placement story at Few and Far