While studying computing at university, I became interested in the analysis of large data sets with the potential to greatly improve the efficiency of organisations in every sector. I found it fascinating to learn how generated data volumes are likely to increase over time to around triple today’s level by 2025. This raises the question – what is this data going to be used for and how? Therefore, joining Zizo, a company which is based in the growing ‘smart’ town of Milton Keynes and specialises in large data set analytics using a unique pattern database, felt like a great fit.

From the start of my employment, I have enjoyed the atmosphere in the office and helpfulness of the team, which has assisted me in settling in fast. The initial training was quite intense, but was also a great opportunity to learn one-on-one from experts in the field, which allowed me to gain a good understanding of the current Zizo technologies and the growing importance of Big Data, as well as giving me an insightful grounding into the company’s business strategy. I especially enjoyed learning about the pattern database technology used and all the benefits it brings, as well as the plans Zizo has to improve the efficiency and performance of its current technology offerings.

Working on new projects was initially challenging, but it’s allowed me to learn and work with a wide range of software tools from embedded systems in C, through front-end website development in Angular, to databases (pattern and relational). I was immediately given exposure to real-life projects, which allowed me to see how what I was learning was relevant and applied to real-world applications. I knew the objectives that needed to be achieved, but didn’t always know how to utilise the tools to achieve them. Over time, however, this has greatly benefited me as the early exposure has accelerated my learning and meant that while I encountered many hurdles, I also discovered how they could be overcome. It has been beneficial to work and have regular contact with other team members, who can make sure I am on the right track and provide pointers on where I can improve.

After only a few months in the office, we have had to move to remote working because of the novel Covid-19 outbreak. While not ideal, I have been really impressed by the flexibility of the team, which has enabled me to continue to work as close to normal as possible. Zizo has made great use of communications technology, including Teams, which has allowed me to keep in regular contact with my colleagues.

I am looking forward to working on more live projects and working more closely with experienced members of the team, especially in the rapidly growing and exciting field of technologies such as IoT, Edge Computing and Big Data. This will allow me to develop deeper skills in areas of technology and software development which are becoming increasingly prevalent.