Life-Changing Connections with Software Engineer, Seema Bharti | A scaleup career success story
Something that is very important to us at Hunt & Co. is sharing the career stories and journeys of the life-changing connections our team make every day. After all, no two career paths are ever the same. Welcome to another Hunt & Co.’s #LifeChangingConnections feature with Software Engineer, Seema Bharti.
Seema Bharti is the definition of a scaleup career success story! After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology at Punjab Technical University in India, Seema wanted to gain experience and exposure to the technology industry in Australia. After making the big move, Seema dived into university life, gaining her Master’s Degree in Information Technology (majoring in Software Architecture) and soon after graduating, started her first technical role as a Software Engineer.
Following a redundancy sometime later, Seema found herself seeking a new opportunity that would further her DevOps career. She was eager to find a company that would make her feel valued, provide her with meaty challenges, give her the space to take on learning opportunities and further develop her DevOps skills.
It was at this time Seema reached out to Hunt & Co.’s Principal Consultant Carly Shearman who she had already been connected with for over 12 months. As Seema was back in India visiting family, the entire process was remote with the goal of having a role all lined up for Seema upon her return to Australia. After an initial screening call and a face-to-face interview, Carly got to work and lined up an interview with Jacobi, a cloud-based, multi-asset analytics platform with impressive technology used by investment teams.
Within a matter of weeks, Seema had interviewed with Jacobi and was offered a Software Engineering role – a position that would allow her to combine her Back End development skills with her interest in the DevOps space in an environment she could thrive.
We were thrilled to chat with Seema about her experience with Hunt & Co., resource recommendations and career advice for job seekers.
Tell us, what drew you to a career in technology as a Software Engineer?
From early on in school I was always fascinated in computers. After high school, I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and worked as a Software Developer at Scope International (formerly Standard Chartered Bank). From there, I developed an interest in IT and moved to Australia for further studies to gain more knowledge and gain overseas exposure. Since then I have loved my field and career as a Software Developer.
You predominantly focus on Back End and Cloud. How did you decide what your strengths were? Have you always been predominantly Back End or did you start Full Stack and go front here?
I started my journey as a Front End Developer at Redeye and later worked on a back end project. I found back end and cloud technologies more interesting and started my career as a Back End Developer.
You have worked for huge enterprises like Standard Chartered Bank and startups so you have this incredible breadth of experience. Since moving to Brisbane, you have now worked for two well-known and incredible scaleups – first Redeye and now Jacobi. What advice do you have for Software Engineers that are thinking of working in scale-up? How does it differ from a large organisation?
Scope International was a great company and my first motivation to continue my career as an IT person. It was a very large company that was making software for banks. When I recall my work, I feel I was never independently responsible for my project and tasks and I was not challenged completely.
While working with scaleups, I have learnt to wear multiple hats to get work done in a project. I was challenged every day and had good hands-on experience working on different technologies.
It’s okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them. This is what I have learnt from scaleups.
We always talk about how being a great Software Engineer means having a well-rounded set of skills and that the role of a Software Engineer isn’t just about writing code. What do you think is the most important skill, aside from coding, that a Software Engineer needs to have?
- I feel having each other’s backs in the team is the most winning point for any project
- Challenge yourself
- Get out of your comfort zone
You recently started at Jacobi. Tell us, how did you end up in your current role?
Carly Shearman!!!! Thank you so much for finding me Jacobi.
I connected with Hunt & Co. through Carly’s Linkedin profile and she interviewed me to get to know my skill set and my interests. Eventually, I got a call from her about the role available with Jacobi. It was an amazing experience finding the job through Hunt & Co.
How did you enjoy your experience overall working with Hunt & Co.?
Carly served as an invaluable resource at each stage of the recruitment process. She gave me a lot of context about the role, their culture, the team and expectations from the role.
Once the interview was set up, she worked tirelessly to ensure that I understood what to expect and prepare accordingly.
She did all this and many more things while being consistently super approachable, insightful and passionate.
I highly recommend Hunt & Co. as a recruiter for anyone looking for a job or hire. Carly is a passionate, detail-oriented and super impactful recruiter.
What’s your most recommended technology resource?
W3Schools, Tutorials Point and Stack Overflow.
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
- Always take on challenges with a positive approach
- Be a good listener
- Always be willing to learn
Final one, what is one tip or word of advice you would give to someone looking for a new role?
Venture outside of your comfort zone.
Thanks so much to Seema Bharti for chatting with us and sharing your advice. You can connect with Seema Bharti on LinkedIn here.
If you’re looking for your next role or team member in the Technology / Product space, reach out to Carly Shearman (carly@huntandco.io / 0488 721 180) or Zak Hadfield (zak@huntandco.io / 0452 208 416).