Dec
15
2015

Investing in the future Luke

by Emma

Knowing what you want to pursue as a career is half the battle but often getting the chance to gain experience in your chosen industry can be difficult.

Luke Fisher has been interested in computers from a young age and was determined to turn this passion into a career. Currently in his third year studying towards a BSC in Computer Science at Robert Gordon University (RGU), Luke started a year-long placement with Aberdeen based software specialist Codify earlier this year.

Codify has a commitment to providing graduate opportunities and currently has four employees who have been through a placement with them over the past 4 years, as well as one active placement student. This is part of a recruitment strategy which has been at the core of the business since it was established 15 years ago.

Luke, who was educated at Portlethen Academy, believes that the practical learning experience he is gaining at Codify during his placement is invaluable.

“I was lucky to find a company like Codify that was able to offer a placement for a long length of time, especially as I know some people in my year have found it difficult. I feel like I have known what I wanted to do from a young age and had my mind set on that to ensure I was on the right track. I am quite fortunate in that respect,” he said.

“I find the work interesting and think I have integrated quite well into the company. The environment here is very welcoming and it is exactly what I was hoping for. It is challenging but that is a great way to learn. Software development as an industry is constantly evolving and it is fantastic to be a part of that. I have a great opportunity here with Codify and I would like to see how far I could go with them and what I could achieve here.”

Luke works in the support team at Codify, a challenging role which is at the forefront of the business.

He said:

“I handle support calls, so clients getting in touch with problems, queries and things that need to be changed in their system. If there is an issue we can look into what is causing it and fix it. It is really satisfying when you are responsible for improving their system and solving issues for them.

“In my support role you never know what challenge you are going to have to be faced with, so there is enjoyment in the variety and the sense of achievement you get from solving problems. That change you have made could have a big impact on the client’s program and that is a good feeling. I enjoy working with the technical challenges.”

Graeme Humphrey, managing director of Codify, said the company is proud that so many of their placement students have chosen to pursue their career with the company.

“It has always been part of our ethos to create a welcoming and stimulating atmosphere for students. The fact that we currently have four post placement students working for us confirms that we have achieved that. The new ideas, passion and enthusiasm they bring to Codify is fantastic and mixes well with the experienced members of our team,” he said.

“Luke has taken to life at Codify very well and we look forward to supporting him throughout his placement and university studies. Our close working relationships with both RGU and the University of Aberdeen has proved hugely beneficial to us and vice-versa, as we have been able to give placement opportunities for a number of students. The advantages to us are obvious as we have been able to grow our team with talented and fresh thinkers, while also helping young people get a foot in the door.”

While Luke has just recently begun his Codify journey, colleague Ben Owen first experienced Codify life on a placement in 2011.

The 24-year-old also studied Computer Science at RGU and worked part-time at Codify while he completed his studies.

He said:

“I felt like quite a lot of trust was put in me from the start. I was involved with day to day systems which was interesting. It was a great learning experience which I got a lot from. You hear of placements where companies don’t really engage with students so it was great to be given responsibility from the start and be part of a team.”

Luke

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