Meet our Graduate Developer

At GOSS, we believe in nurturing talent and providing opportunities for growth and development. Our placement and graduate programs are designed to offer real-world experience, mentorship, and the chance to work on impactful projects. To shed light on the experiences of those who have embarked on this journey with us, we sat down with our placement and graduate students to share their stories, insights, and the invaluable skills they have gained during their time with us. In this article, Louis Devlin, a Graduate Developer here at GOSS, shares why he's decided to return after completing his previous placement year here.

Louis Devlin

Graduate Developer 

What do you get up to at GOSS?

I work in the Build Team, developing solutions for clients and contributing towards support tickets and issues. Usually a mix of .NET and JavaScript development throughout the week.

What inspired you to apply for a graduate position at GOSS?

I got offered a graduate role towards the end of my time on placement. I'd really enjoyed my time here and felt like I could continue to grow and progress at a rapid pace if I was to return as a graduate. My line manager was supportive throughout the year and we kept in touch whilst I was back at university, so I felt very welcome back.

How do you feel GOSS has prepared you for your future career?

Not only has GOSS supported me in the development of my technical skills, but it has really helped to grow my confidence and the all important soft skills, which are as important as being technically confident as a software developer. You need to be able to properly work in a team, present and discuss your ideas and work to be successful.

What do you enjoy most about the work culture at GOSS?

As I mentioned earlier, everyone is very supportive and keen to share their knowledge with others, so I never feel scared to ask a question, no matter how simple it may be. The social aspect of work is also really good, despite some staff working hybrid/remote, we still have social events throughout the year to get the team together, which is always good fun.

Would you recommend taking a placement year?

Very much so! My placement allowed me to develop my skills and pushed me to make a much stronger dissertation project than I probably would have made had I not have done a placement. I got to use some of the software principles I'd picked up here (SOLID, Dependency Injection) in my final year project, to adhere to strong programming standards.

Can you share any specific ideas or projects you're excited to work on now that you're back?

I'm hoping to contribute to the new MyGOSS client portal now that I'm back, it was something that hadn't been launched when I left. Additionally there's a few other clients projects I am soon to be starting that are looking to be very interesting.

What new skills or knowledge did you gain during your degree that you are excited to apply here?

Throughout projects that I made in my degree I used NodeJS/ .NET, which is the same tech stack I work on here most of the time. I'm looking forward to using the skills I learned throughout my degree and continue to grow them. I also used TypeScript in my final year project, which I look forward to making use of the skills I gained there as Core Tech and other teams begin to modernise our stack.

What did you miss most about working here while you were away?

The people! I am constantly challenged to improve and become and better developer, which really aided with my growth during placement and aided me in my final year of university. And, all of the wonderful events the GOSS GREAT Team put on.

Why did you choose to come back and work at GOSS?

After having a great time here on placement, I felt that this would be the best place to begin my career in Software. Not only from a career perspective but the working environment is very positive.