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Darren
I joined Asidua as a Graduate Engineer in September 2006 after graduating from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown with an Honours degree in Software Engineering in July 2006. When I left University, I wanted a job that would challenge me and give me a broad spread of experience in different areas of IT.
Asidua offered a proven track record in delivering large scale projects, involvement with a wide customer base in both the public and private sectors and the opportunity to work with cutting edge technologies in a challenging environment.
Work in Asidua
My first role with Asidua was in the transformation of a PSTN Fault and Repair systems architecture for a major telecoms company. This gave me the opportunity to be involved in one of the biggest and most high profile undertakings the telecoms industry has seen in recent years and I had exposure to XML technologies, UML and Siebel CRM.
More recently, I have moved to a development role, gaining invaluable skills in C#.NET and SQL Server. With Asidua being a Microsoft Gold Certified partner, you get the opportunity to develop your skills in the latest technologies and learn from the skilled and experienced people that work here. Working with Asidua has given me a great balance between enhancing my soft skills and my technical skills, making me a more rounded professional.
Training at Asidua
In Asidua, you receive training not only in technical areas, but also in soft skill areas. On joining, Graduates take part in a ‘Graduate Development Programme’, which includes material on Presentations, Effective Communication and Personal Effectiveness. There is also the opportunity to go on an overnight residential with your fellow graduates – it’s great fun and a brilliant way to get to know other people in the same position as you.
Asidua recognises the need for its people to be up to speed on forefront technologies by providing internal and external training courses which usually reflect a combination of current business need and your personal goals. I have been on courses in XML technologies, Biztalk, ASP.NET and C#. I’m currently working towards attaining my UML Certification and also plan to do a .NET Certification next year.
Fun at Asidua
In Asidua, there is a Sports and Social team, which organises monthly outings. Recently, there have been trips to the theatre, the VIP Cinema and a Nintendo Wii Mario Kart tournament held in Asidua’s Belfast office. There is also ‘First Friday Drinks’ on the first Friday of each month and Breakfast Club twice a month. Flexible working hours allows you to start and finish work at a time that suits you as long as you work during the core hours.
Final Thought
I thoroughly enjoy working for Asidua – they have given me the opportunity to work in interesting, challenging and diverse environments and learn invaluable skills that will help me progress in my career.
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Andrew
I started studying towards my degree course, MEng in Computer Science, at Queens University Belfast in September 2008.
I have always been interested in computing and its capabilities. Over the years, as technology has developed, so too has my interest in this field and this prompted me to pursue a career in Computer Science. Having friends and relatives who work in this field also pushed me towards this choice… I would enjoy working with Computers as a career.
If you want to learn more about my experiences in Asidua, please read my regular blog updates below….
1st October 2009
While the other scholarship winners had a few weeks break after their placement, there was no rest period for me as it was straight into University work following my first day off. The modules that I’ve been studying this semester are Database Systems, Games Programming and, the hardest of all, Computation Theory (which is as hard as the name suggests!). I hope to post another blog update close to the Christmas break.
25th September 2009
In my final week at Asidua, I had to return to Queens again in order to talk about the Scholarship in front of the new first years, although I was nervous at the idea of speaking in front of over 100 people it wasn’t anywhere nearly as bad as I had convinced myself it would be. I also designed several more Web Pages on the website using .Net, in order to allow for updating and deleting information from Detections/Repairs and the Area Managers using SQL queries and stored procedures.
18th September 2009
After having finished the NUnit Tests, I was given an assignment of creating a web Front end using Visual Studio. This would mean that I would be using some of the features that I had learnt in the initial weeks in the tutorials. In order to complete this I had to use Data binding in order to attach an SQL query that was created in order to query a larger database. These results were then displayed on the Home Page of a website that was created for NI Water in order for them to view information about their Detections and Repairs in a more efficient way. In order to do this I used C# code although it would have been possible to data bind by using features included in Visual Studio.
11th September 2009
The highlight of week 6 was going to Queens University in order to represent Asidua at the Queens Open Day. Having previously been at these sort of fairs as a student it seemed strange taking part on the other side of the stalls! It involved me talking to students about the amount of career opportunities and benefits that come from embarking on a career in IT. While at Asidua I spent the time developing the NUnit Tests.
4th September 2009
Week 5 was a short week due to having the Bank Holiday on the Monday but was broken up even more so by a series of induction presentations with a number of other newcomers. A previous placement student had rejoined the company on a permanent position so it showed me that there definitely was opportunities for me at Asidua if I put the effort in. It was also in this week that I began writing NUnit tests on code that Asidua had previously developed.
28th August 2009
It was back to getting up again at 6.30 after my week off, I had actually began to adapt to the early starts near the end of the initial two weeks but the weeks holiday had thrown me off all over again! During this week I was introduced to Microsoft CCF(Customer Care Framework) and was told that I would be beginning to look at Testing on some of the projects that had been designed. This meant ensuring that the projects did what they were supposed to do and that they did not contain errors. Whilst originally using a manual approach by checking the results off a database, it meant that near the end of the week that I had to begin looking at using NUnit which I had never used before in order to do the testing so this was something new for me.
21st August 2009
My third week was actually a week off for me, over the 8 weeks we were allowed a certain number of holidays and as I was doing volunteer work back home in Portadown, Asidua was willing to let me take my full allowance during this week which I was thankful for.
14th August 2009
My second week at the company was also the last week of the other two scholarship students, Queens student Niall McAllister and a University of Ulster, Magee student Sean Carlin. Because of only really having studied Java at Queens, I was wary of how I would be able to adapt to C# as well as the other software such as Visual Studio, however these initial weeks were full of tutorials that Asidua provides which helped to show me that there wasn’t much difference between this and what I learnt except for the fact that I probably preferred using Visual Studio rather than JCreator.
7th August 2009
After having had two months of summer, I was excited to finally begin my 8 weeks placement at Asidua. As part of the scholarship meant that I had previously met members of Asidua’s staff, it helped to reduce the nerves that I was feeling as I didn’t feel as thrown into the deep end when it came to new faces. I started on the same day as a Queens graduate who was beginning full time work at the company so the fact that he was there permanently made the idea of only 8 weeks work seem a lot easier of a task. The first week was mainly about settling in to my work space and getting an idea of what would be expected from me during my weeks here.
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Brent (IT)
Studies
I am in my final year at the University of Ulster studying a BSc Honours Degree in Computer Science. I worked for Asidua during my placement year and they have also kept me on part time during my final year. A Placement year can be beneficial in so many ways; It gives you hands on experience which you can’t gain in a classroom environment. It also gives a chance to apply the techniques you have learnt so far in a real world situation as well as learning new things that will aid you in your final year. Most importantly it provides the opportunity to meet new people and partake in the companies social activities.
Work in Asidua
During my time at Asidua I have worked in 2 different teams within the Business Services Division. Mainly using Java and Web Technologies I have been responsible for maintaining/enhancing existing Simulation software, providing customer support for said software and was even given my own project to work on. This proved very helpful as I was able to use the Software I created within Asidua as part of my Final Year Project. Not many people can say they got paid for doing their final year project…
Training in Asidua
I have learnt so much through ‘hands on’ training at Asidua. When I first started I was nervous about the work I had to do as I wasn’t familiar with certain technologies. However, my confidence and development knowledge grew each day through the mentoring of my Line Manager and senior members of staff who were always willing to provide guidance. When I return as a Graduate I hope that the ‘hands on’ training with continue to enhance my skills. I am also looking forward to the Formal Training that Asidua Provides to Graduates.
Fun at Asidua
Asidua provides a friendly working environment and their sports and social committee are always putting on events and activities. I have enjoyed my time at Asidua so much that I decided to apply for a full time Graduate Position.
Final Thought
The experience and constant support that Asidua have provided throughout the last 2 years has been a massive help to me in my Final Year. They have always tried to accommodate my needs and been understanding when I needed time off for exams and coursework.
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Sharrona (Marketing)
Studies
I have recently finished my placement working as the Marketing Assistant at Asidua during my placement year from my BSc Marketing course at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown. During second year at university, a few final year students joined our careers class to give presentations on their placement year and encourage us all to take a year out and get experience in a Marketing role. They found that the theory was easier to understand if you could relate it to past experience and there was evidence that those final year students who opted for placement, achieved higher grades in their finals than those who did not take a year out. We were also advised by our lecturer that the main concern for employers were that most graduates finish their degree with all the knowledge of what should happen and none of the experience of what could happen.
Work in Asidua
During my time at Asidua I have been involved in many diverse projects from writing copy for blog posts and the news section of the website to carrying out research or helping with the organisation of events. Every week I have a meeting with my manager to discuss how I am getting on with projects and to talk about new projects coming up. The meetings are a good way to highlight and get help with any problems I am having. There are always different projects to be working on or different tasks to be carried out so I never get bored (a common complaint of many placement students!) and I continually learn new things.
Training at Asidua
When I started in Asidua I attended the induction programme, which introduced me to Company procedures. This was a great way for me to get to know some of the other new starts at the time. I’ve also had plenty of on-the-job training which has helped me learn about the different processes within the Marketing Department.
Fun at Asidua
The working environment at Asidua is very relaxed and friendly and there’s always some banter in the teams. In the kitchen there is a Wii for employees to play on their breaks with Mario Kart being the most popular and competitive game. I can safely say I’m no competition for any of the guys - I’m the worst driver in Mario Kart history! The sports and social committee organise events once a month which are guaranteed to be great fun. There is also ‘First Friday Drinks’ on the first Friday of every month which is a good opportunity to meet other people you wouldn’t normally be working with in work.
Final Thought
From talking to my classmates who are also on placement at a range of different companies, I can guarantee that I secured one of the best placements, not only in terms of experience but also the people I have worked with and the general atmosphere of the company. Since day one I was made feel welcome and part of the team and there has never been any shortage of help and support from everyone I have worked with. The skills and experience I have gained through working in Asidua will help me progress through final year and hopefully into a career in Marketing. I would encourage all second year students to consider taking a placement year and hope they are all as lucky as I was to spend a year in a company like Asidua.
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James (IT)
Studies
I’m a student studying for a BEng Honours degree in Computer Game Development with a Diploma in Industrial Studies, at Ulster University’s Magee campus. I’ve been working in the Device Services division at Asidua for just over a year now as a Placement Engineer and have enjoyed the range work immensely. My decision to apply for an internship at Asidua was mainly influenced by both the type of work advertised and the programming language requirements, the work environment and approachable nature of co-workers was just an added bonus. I believe that having demonstrable, professional experience with C, C++, TCL and Python will further increase my aptitude and future employability as a programmer; while the networking and hardware aspects of the position will contribute toward rounding my abilities off in preparation for graduation.
Work in Asidua
During my time at Asidua I’ve worked on developing embedded profiling tools and carrier Ethernet control stacks for winpath based architectures. The work is always challenging and most of all interesting, having been exposed to a wide range of programming languages and methodologies; I feel I’m well prepared for the future as the experienced gained while on placement here has been extremely valuable.
Training in Asidua
While at Asidua I’ve had the benefit of attending training sessions involving the creation of efficient build systems and a general overview of winpath-based architecture.
Fun at Asidua
Asidua has a vibrant working atmosphere and a great set of people who are always on hand to help you out. As well as having a comfortable work environment, the Sports and Social Committee regularly organises events and social excursions for everyone to attend outside of work.
Final Thought
With a great working environment, varied range of interesting work and the ability to attend training master classes, placement at Asidua is both an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
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Sean
I’m currently studying towards a BSc in Computer Science degree in University of Ulster Magee Campus, which commenced in September 2008.
I chose this degree because I enjoy working with computers and enjoy computer programming. I have a genuine keen interest in computing and I believe I have the skills and the drive to maximize the benefits from the Scholarship programme with Asidua. I am a logical and problem solving minded individual. I also enjoy working in a team and socializing.
If you want to learn more about my experiences in Asidua, please read my regular blog updates below….
22nd November 2009
I am near the end of my 1st semester of second year at Magee and it has been a fairly enjoyable experience so far, also looking back at the summer placement I really enjoyed the working atmosphere and experience which I received. In second year there seems to be a lot more assessments and projects which is a bit frustrating as there are a lot of deadlines. I am glad that I have my placement already organised with Asidua because I have started to see everyone applying and competing for placements and it is a weight of my shoulders not having to worry about getting a placement. Currently I am learning C++ in my algorithmic programming classes which is quite fun. I have noticed that I have grasped a lot of concepts quite easily because of my experience with ASP.NET and C# in the summer. I have decided to learn more about ASP.NET 3.5 and SQL server 2008 outside of university as well. Recently I attended a prize giving by the university and received two prizes for the best first year student in computer science which has given me more motivation to try hard for the January exams coming up. I am enjoying second year even though it is a lot more challenging than first year and I am looking forward to seeing what the second semester brings and of course, my placement.
14th August 2009
This was my last week of my summer placement and I spent this week going through the feedback left about the site template, thankfully there were only minor changes and implementing these changes to the templates did not take very long.
7th August 2009
By mid-week I had completed the customer-facing site’s template and my manager sent my work away for review to the managers and customers. I would wait for feedback and I would make changes to the site template according to the feedback that I received.
31st July 2009
My objective this week was to capture the customer external facing SharePoint site’s initial requirements, to do this we organised a meeting with the customer and discussed what SharePoint can do for them. After collecting the information to develop the customer facing site, the rest of the week I had to develop the template.
24th July 2009
I started on the account management template in SharePoint, which was to be designed so Asidua could manage all their projects from one master site/portal. I really enjoyed this week because I got to use all the knowledge of SharePoint’s functionalities that I had gained from the previous week and use it in a real life situation. By the end of this week I had completed the account management facing site.
17th July 2009
This week my line manager introduced me to the project that I would be working on. I would be creating templates for SharePoint sites, both at the account management and customer level. The rest of this week I spent getting up to speed with SharePoint and all of its functionalities. I found some useful books in Asidua’s library about SharePoint that explained and clarified a lot of my questions.
10th July 2009
During this I learned the basics of ASP.NET and started using SQL server 2008. I learned how to create web forms in ASP and submit the data to an SQL database. The SQL was easy as I had previous experience with SQL and getting to grips with ASP was not hard after what I had learned in week 2.
3rd July 2009
Before I started my summer work placement with Asidua, I had knowledge of using java, php and mysql. So this week I started familiarizing myself with some technologies that Asidua use. I started using Visual Studio 2008 and learning the basics of C#. Surprisingly I found that C# was incredibly similar to Java, I actually thought that using visual studio 2008 combined with coding in C# was easier than coding in Java.
26th June 2009
On my first week I was really excited to be part of Asidua and to start my summer work placement with them. During this week Niall (another scholarship student) and I basically had an introduction to the company. The Introduction included meeting executives, managers, learning Asidua’s procedures and getting a guided tour of the buildings (Unit 10 and 15). We quickly got settled into are work spaces and I was glad that the other scholarship student was not too far away from me.
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Niall
I am currently working towards a BEng in Computer Science at QUB, which I commenced in September 2008.
I attained 3 A’s at A level in Maths, Economics and ICT. I chose to do a degree in Computer Science as computers have always fascinated me. They are used in every aspect of our lives and this is why I am eager to find out as much as I can in this area of study. I feel a career path in Software Engineering has excellent prospects and its ever changing nature really excites me. I applied for this Scholarship opportunity with Asidua as I feel it would give me excellent experience in a field I am very much looking forward to entering.
If you want to learn more about my experiences in Asidua, please read my regular blog updates below….
16th November 2009
After my work experience with Asidua over the summer, I started back to University in late September. The three modules I’m completing in my first semester are Networks and Communications, Database Systems and Games Programming. Although I had hoped they were trying to scare me, it is true what I was told by the other placement students at Asidua; the second year on the Computer Science degree is much harder than the first. However, I am still enjoying it and some of the work I did over my summer placement is starting to come in handy. Our games programming module uses Visual Studio which I was introduced to during my time spent with the company over the summer and so I’m glad to have had some knowledge of this before beginning the course. As the weeks pass by, I’m looking forward to my placement year with Asidua, and glad I don’t have to stress about interviews for theirs, like others on my course!
14th August 2009
This week was spent learning a bit more code, both from textbooks and the internet, and then doing other things like my exit interview. On the second last day Sean and I got buns for our unit from a local bakery. Although we did this to thank everyone in the building for their help over the 8 weeks, I had the underlying motive of sweetening up my team before my presentation the next day! This was basically a 20 minute presentation during which I showed them what I had done for the actual team project. This turned out to be very good fun and although nervous at the start, I enjoyed it.
7th August 2009
During the course of this week I put the finishing touches to the report, formatting it to look as close to what they wanted as possible. I was impressed by the report builder software. It simplifies what would take the end user weeks to produce using their current paper based system. It also offers the ability to make the report interactive i.e. drilldowns, something I included in my work.
31st July 2009
This week, I began another new job. This time I was going to be using Reporting services. I was making a report from one of the tables used in the team database. It had to be programmed so the user feeds in 4 parameters and this is what sorts the search. They also had to be able to specify the dates between which they wanted to see the report. I also gave the report a drill down function; where the user can click on parts of the graph to get a more detailed view of this particular day.
24th July 2009
It took me the majority of this week to finish my second sprint and test it. Then I had a meeting with my line manager and I explained the system to him. As we went through it, he made some suggestions, about layout etc, and then I made these changes to the file. Also during week 5, two students began their year out in our building. They tried to scare us as to what’s in store for us next year at University but other than that, good fun.
17th July 2009
Over the first half of this week I put the finishing touches to my first job and tested it. I was really surprised how easy Visual Studio made things with its drag and drop feature. On Thursday I was given my next sprint. Again it was a web front end, but this time linking 2 tables, using a filter to filter the results of both, both tables had to be fully editable and this time, the user had to be able to delete and insert new data into the tables.
10th July 2009
I was given an overview of what I was going to do in a meeting with my line manager and then he made out a sprint backlog for me to follow, which broke the job into steps and allowed me to view the estimated time for each section and then edit how long it really took me! Again, this was something I was impressed with-using this time scale, of where you ‘should’ be and where you are in your assignment, a burn down chart is produced showing your progress against where you should be. My job was to build a web front end on Visual Studio for one of the database tables used in my teams project, allowing the user to filter the results of their search through a drop down list, which displayed the available options. I also had to provide the user with an edit feature so they could edit the results.
3rd July 2009
During this week I was doing asp tutorials, both online and from a book, and I also went to my first team meeting. This gave me a better insight into the project and what my team was working towards. I was impressed with how organised it was; in that there were various issues we worked through which had been raised on the team site by team members and these were discussed and then either removed if the issue was solved, or left at ‘in progress’ if more work was required on it. Also, as this week went on I got to know Sean (the other scholar) better and the craic improved as well!
26th June 2009
Over this first week I went through all sorts of inductions, from meeting the bosses to being told of the free drinks Asidua offers on the first Friday of the month! In between this I met my team from the project I was going to be working on and began to learn my way around the building. Then I started my tutorials, beginning with C#. I had never used C# but with the help of those in my team I realised it was very similar to Java and began to grasp the idea.
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Current Scholars
Our Scholars section provides an overview of our three Scholars appointed at the start of the 08/09 academic year – Andrew Ruddell and Niall McAllister, both from QUB and Sean Carlin from UU.
The Scholars reflect on their time with Asidua during the summer break between first and second year at University- during summer 2009. In coming weeks and months the blogs will include information on how our Scholars are settling back into University and outline their thoughts on the benefits their Scholarship is having on their studies and long term employability.
As Scholars are appointed in coming years, their experiences will also be added to this section. This will give you an opportunity to understand the benefits of Asidua’s Scholarship Programme through the voice of Scholars.
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Our Placements
Within the Placement section you will find out more information on the benefits of a placement in Asidua – whether that is Brent in Business Services, James in Device Services or Sharrona in our Marketing Department. Each of these pages include an overview from students who have recently finished their year out placement with us in 2008/2009.
Outlined below are the benefits on placements with Asidua and also details on how to apply.
Benefits
Within Asidua, we have a strong learning and development culture, with our employees thriving on being able to share their knowledge and expertise in order to aid the development of others. By having placement students experience working life in Asidua, we feel we as an organisation are benefitting through having a fresh perspective.
Students become much more rounded individuals during their time with us. They supplement the skills and theory learnt at University with industrial experience on value-adding projects. Placement students get to work with very experienced individuals who mentor them in software engineering best practices; gain real world experience of working in teams; and increase their confidence and communications skills along the way. They also gain a better understanding of what a career in IT is all about.
In addition, when a placement students performance is outstanding Asidua offers a bursary for their remaining time in University. We also facilitate part-time working during their final year and schedule their hours to best suit their classes. We also offer graduate positions to ex-placements following an interview and take into account their performance during their placement as well as how they perform during interview.
The remuneration package is the same as for all other employees e.g. bonus, special leave, flexible working, pension, etc.
How to Apply
- Interested students should visit our current vacancies page in order to view our current vacancies within Asidua.
- Year-out placements are available within Belfast and Birmingham only.
- Summer Placements and Scholarships are available only within Belfast.
- Please note that CV’s will not be accepted. Asidua application forms only are accepted for these positions.
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Lindsay
I joined Asidua GB in October 2007, after about 3 years experience in web application development. I had enjoyed my previous role, but felt the benefit to be gained from extending an existing web application had pretty much reached its limit. The idea of project based work at Asidua really appealed as it seemed like the perfect opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills in many different areas. The thought of leaving behind a system and a team that I knew inside out was daunting, but the guys at Asidua were extremely welcoming and I soon gained a huge amount of experience.
Work In Asidua
The project based work at Asidua meant I quickly expanded my experience to include Smart Client applications, SQL Server Reporting Services and SharePoint Development. The current project we are working on is centred around integrating applications using Microsoft CCF. Working on new technologies means we can’t rely on the internet for help, but this makes it all the more satisfying when we find a solution. Working in relatively small project teams also means that everyone gets involved in everything, so we all gain experience with design, development and deployment. The large team that I worked in before I joined Asidua was very rigidly structured, which limited my exposure to different areas of the complete development process. I’ve also been involved with discussing requirements and issues with the customer, which is something I have really enjoyed.
Training at Asidua
The nature of the work here means you are learning new things every day. The team work very closely together, which naturally leads to lots of knowledge sharing. I’ve been on training courses for various technologies, and been given study leave to prepare towards Microsoft Certifications. I find it far easier to learn from other people than from books and exams, but it is good to know that Asidua will provide more formal training when I feel it’s useful.
Fun at Asidua
Asidua are very keen to ensure that everyone feels there is a good work-life balance, which is the reason behind the flexibility in working hours, and the contribution to regular sports and social events. For me, one of the most important things about working life is that I enjoy spending time with the people around me. We all know each other well here in the Birmingham office, so there is often a bit of banter going on to break up the day. Most of the guys take their lunch break together, and we regularly visit the pub for Friday lunch. All of this leads to a very relaxed atmosphere, even though there’s lots of hard work to be done!
Final Thought
The diverse range of projects that you will contribute towards at Asidua will ensure you are provided with the opportunities and challenges to gain new skills in many different areas. Asidua strongly believe that there is room for career progression for each individual within the company, and the knowledge and experience needed for progression comes naturally from the variety of work we do and the relaxed structure of project teams.
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Scott
I graduated from Aston University with a BSc (Hons) Computer Science degree in 2007, shortly after I found out about Asidua through a trip to a local careers fair. I soon started work at the Birmingham office in September 2007. The Birmingham office is a fairly new and growing team and I found the atmosphere to be friendly and relaxed, I liked it enough to recommend the job to a friend, who is also now working for Asidua.
Work In Asidua
When I left University my aim was to try and find a job that would allow me to stay up to date with the current tools and programming languages, as one of my biggest fears was that I’d start a job and find I was maintaining a legacy piece of software, or testing for my first couple of years. Fortunately this is not the case at Asidua, as since starting work at Asidua I have been involved in a number of different projects, using .net, asp.net, JavaScript, active directory, SharePoint and BizTalk. I’ve designed and implemented software components and carried out various pieces of investigative work.
Training at Asidua
I started as a Graduate Engineer on the Asidua graduate training programme, this involves training in Belfast once a month on various soft skills, as well as two team building activity days which are a great way of making friends and contacts with people from the other offices. I have attended a BizTalk training course, as well as having the books and exams paid for a Microsoft Certification allowing me to gain Certified Web Applications Specialist accreditation. Rather than using the same technology for every project, I get to use whatever is most suited for the task in hand, allowing me to learn a variety of products and languages which definitely keeps things interesting for me.
Fun at Asidua
We have regular company sports and social events, such as bowling, cricket and going to the races, which the company kindly pays towards. As an office we normally go out for lunch every Friday which is a good way of getting to know the people you work with. The Birmingham office is located on a business park surrounded by scenic conservation land which is often used at lunchtime for walks, which is a nice way of breaking up the day. We have flexible hours which allows you to have the choice between a little longer in bed or leaving early which is often very useful, especially if you’ve got somewhere to be.
Final Thoughts
Asidua is providing me with the opportunity to work on a variety of projects using current and future technologies, giving me experience, that will only stand me in good stead for the rest of my career. The work/life balance is great and I’m continually learning on every project. I’ve enjoyed my time here so far and I’m looking forward to the future and watching the Birmingham office expand.
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Paul
I graduated from the National University of Ireland, Galway in August 2002 with an Honours degree in Information Technology. I then moved to the U.K. for four years, working as a Cache developer for three of these years. Following this I travelled Asia, Australia and New Zealand for 18 months. On my return I realised that I’d been out of the IT world for so long that my programming skills had become outdated. I saw graduate programmes as being my best way of getting back into the IT industry. The programme on offer from Asidua met with the criteria that I was looking for – an introduction to the latest technologies, study towards recognised certifications and a structured progression upwards through a successful company.
Work in Asidua
Since starting in April 2007 the work has been hectic but enjoyable. I think this comes from the fact that we’re still a smallish office in Dublin, so it means that you’re constantly involved in and aware of whatever is going on. My first project used Microsoft ASP.Net and C#, as well as Windows Workflow Foundation and SQL Server. As I was new to these technologies it was a challenge getting up to speed on them but the training I was provided with, along with the help offered to me from others in the company meant that I was fully comfortable when the time came to start developing.
Training at Asidua
The training offered by Asidua is extensive. They understand that a business is only as good as their people and so they invest heavily in them. In the first nine months of the job I’ve taken and passed a Microsoft Certified course on the .Net framework and will take the next course on web-based development before the end of my first year. I’ve also attended a week long course on the BizTalk framework, as it looks like this will be needed for future projects. The graduate scheme also provides a lot of additional, non-techie training. The scheme includes modules on communication, time management and presentation skills – which are essential to have, especially for those entering a working environment for the first time. It also includes team-building days away which are a great laugh and give you a chance to really get to know the rest of the graduates.
Fun at Asidua
My team gets on really well together, which makes for a fun and relaxed working environment in itself.We also try to get out and do something after work once a month, whether it’s a night racing at the dog track, going to a gig or just going for dinner and a few drinks, we always manage to have a laugh.
Final Thought
I’ve only been with Asidua a short while but am enjoying it hugely. Not only is the work new and interesting but I’m also picking up lots of valuable knowledge and skills that will help me as I progress in my career.
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Stacy
I joined Asidua as a graduate engineer in February 2008 after completing a placement year in the company in 2005 / 2006. I graduated from Queen’s University in July 2007 with a 1st Class Masters degree in Computer Science and Maths. My degree not only enabled me to improve a number of skills but it also gave me a passion for learning and fuelled my ambition to do well in the future and have a successful career.
Work in Asidua
I completed my placement year in Asidua. I had an excellent year and thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the job. I gained experience of working in a team environment on a live project for one of Asidua’s clients. Asidua provided me with a number of excellent opportunities and from day one treated me as a valued member of staff. I returned as a Graduate in February 2008. I wanted a job that would enable me to firstly gain valuable experience in development – especially using .NET as this is what I had been gained experience in during my placement. Ultimately my aim is to go into the Business Analyst side of things and then perhaps move on to do project management. I enjoy working with people and in the future would like a more customer facing role in IT.
I am currently working on a project that involves MS .NET technologies and SQL Server and XML related technologies. I am developing in C# and using technologies such as SQL Server Integration Services and Reporting Services. The work is interesting and challenging and I am continually learning both new things; and better ways to do things.
Training at Asidua
I know that Asidua will provide me with all the opportunities I need to build a successful career in the IT industry. They will provide me with the development experience that I need and also the appropriate training in all areas. I also know that the work involved will challenge me on a daily basis and that I will never be bored in my work here. The company provides excellent career progression opportunities and they really do take on board your aspirations for the future and will help in every way they can to enable you to meet your career goals.
The majority of the training you will receive in Asidua is “on-the-job”. There are a lot of more experienced employees who are always willing to provide guidance and share their experiences with you. No-one is ever too busy to answer your questions and no question is ever too stupid – believe me I’ve asked my fair share! Training is very important in Asidua. When you join as a Graduate you go through the Graduate Development Programme which teaches you valuable soft skills such as communication and time management.
Asidua provide internal and external training courses in a variety of technologies. They are keen for employees to continually better themselves and learn new technologies. I recently went on an SSIS course and MS Biztalk course. Employees are also encouraged to undertake certifications. I am currently studying for Microsoft Business Intelligence Developer exam. I also plan to do the .NET Certification early next year.
Fun at Asidua
The company has a sports and social club that organises an event every month, for example last month we went to the VIP cinema in the Odyssey to see James Bond. Events range from things like bowling, go-karting, Giant’s match, pool competition etc. We also have First Friday Drinks every month which always promises to be a good night out!
If you’re into football like me – the boys and girls organise 5 – a – side every week and we also enter both a boys and girls team into the BCS 7 –a – side tournament every year. The boys won last year! There is also a Wii and an Xbox in the kitchens of the Belfast offices. It means that we do spend time with each other outside of work and we are all generally a very friendly bunch – it makes for an excellent working atmosphere and environment.
Final Thought
Asidua are a company that thrive on the success and ambition of their employees and they encourage everyone to learn new technologies and are also open to new suggestions and new methods of doing things. Asidua provides an interesting and challenging career in IT. You can be guaranteed that if you come to work for us you will fit in immediately to the diverse but excellent work environment that we have where everyone from the graduates to the directors are approachable at any time. The company strikes an excellent balance between work and social life.
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Niall
I completed an MEng in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Queens in 2005 before travelling to Australia for a year. On my return I came back to Asidua for full time employment, because having completed my placement with Asidua in 2003/04, I knew Asidua had a great environment to learn and progress my career.
Work in Asidua
The work in Asidua varies greatly. Some of the projects I have worked on involved integrating credit card readers with kiosks that you can see in shopping centres and airports, to working offsite at a customers office designing and developing custom systems. These projects allow me to expand my knowledge and meet new people.
Training at Asidua
Throughout my time in Asidua I have been on many training courses to help with my understanding of a new technology which I will be using on a new project. I also completed the Graduate Training Programme where Asidua put all the graduates up in a hotel for team building and put us through some modules to help with improving our professional development.
Fun at Asidua
Within Asidua we have both an X Box 360 and a Nintendo Wii which employees can use on their breaks. As part of the sports and social committee I have the opportunity to organise monthly events for the company. In the past these have included paint balling, go-karting, bowling, trips to the V.I.P cinema and Christmas 5 aside soccer tournaments to name but a few. We are also currently the holders of the BCS 7 aside outdoor soccer trophy in which we competed against other I.T companies in Belfast.
Final Thought
I have really enjoyed my time working with Asidua. It has provided me the opportunity to meet new people and progress my career in an enjoyable working environment.
Interested in finding out more about Niall’s role, then watch his video below…
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Scholarships @ QUB
The Asidua Scholarship at Queen’s will support at least one student per year on either the BSc, BEng, or MEng Computer Science course or the BEng or MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering. This scholarship is worth up to £25,000 to the successful candidate.
Subject to satisfactory exam results aligning with a degree classification of 2:1 or above and performance in class, the scholarship will offer support as follows:
- £1,000 per year for each of the scheduled academic years of the course;
- At least eight weeks paid summer work between each academic year;
- A guaranteed paid industrial placement in year three;
- After completion of industrial placement, the opportunity for paid part-time work during the academic year – typically equating to 1 day per week (subject to course schedules);
- Following an application for a permanent position and subject to success at interview, in accordance with Fair Employment legislation, a permanent position with Asidua after graduation.
Selection Process
- Individual must meet the entrance requirements for the degree course and be enrolled for the course and still in active participation on 1 December;
- All applicants must fill out an Asidua Scholarship Application form, and then send completed application form to recruitment@asidua.com;
- Applicants will be shortlisted based on the contents of their application form;
- Those who successfully pass this shortlisting will be invited for a 45 minutes interview;
- Following interview the successful applicant will be notified by Asidua’s HR Department;
- All scholarships awarded will be publicised on Asidua’s web site and will require the individual to take part in an official photograph and awards ceremony.
The benefit of a scholarship
Scholars will become much more rounded individuals during their time with Asidua. They will enhance the skills and theory they have learnt at University with industrial experience. They will get to work with very experienced individuals who mentor them in software engineering best practices, and will gain real world experience of working in teams and increase their confidence and communications skills in so doing. They will also gain a better understanding of what a career in IT is all about.
The work based learning or placement is invaluable for the student, as they will gain excellent industrial experience during their time with Asidua since they will work on real projects within the Company, and this will increase their chance of employment following graduation.
How it works in practice
When a placement student starts they go through Asidua’s standard induction process in order to gain an understanding of our Company Strategy, how we work operationally, and details of the work area they are being assigned to. A placement student is treated in the same way as a new graduate – we assign them a supervisor within their project team, and we assess their learning and development needs based on what skills they have gained at University and how this compares with what we need within their project area. In addition they are assigned a mentor who works closely with the student during their placement year. Our placement students will work on real projects within the Company.
This means that during each placement slot the scholar will further enhance their skill set and will become more valuable members of the team and contribute more towards to the success of the projects they work on.
How to apply
Scholarship opportunities have been awarded for the 2009/2010 academic year. The 2010/2011 scholarship programme will be open to applications from Autumn 2010.
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Scholarships @ UU
The Asidua Scholarship at University of Ulster will support at least one student per year on either the BEng/MEng Electronic Engineering, BEng Software Engineering, BSc Honours Computer Science, BSc Computing Science, BSc Computing, BEng Electronics and Computer Systems, BEng/BEng Hons Electronics & Software, BEng Computer Games Development courses. This scholarship is worth up to £25,000 to the successful candidate.
Subject to satisfactory exam results aligning with a degree classification of 2:1 or above and performance in class, the scholarship will offer support as follows:
- £1,000 per year for each of the scheduled academic years of the course;
- At least eight weeks paid summer work between each academic year;
- A guaranteed paid industrial placement in year three;
- After completion of industrial placement, the opportunity for paid part-time work during the academic year – typically equating to 1 day per week (subject to course schedules);
- Following an application for a permanent position and subject to success at interview, in accordance with Fair Employment legislation, a permanent position with Asidua after graduation.
Selection Process
- Applicants must have been accepted onto one of the eligible courses and be enrolled for the course and still in active participation on 1 December;
- All applicants must fill out an Asidua Scholarship Application form, and then send completed application form to recruitment@asidua.com;
- Applicants will be shortlisted based on the contents of their application form;
- Those who successfully pass this shortlisting will be invited for a 45 minutes interview;
- Following interview the successful applicant will be notified by Asidua’s HR Department;
- All scholarships awarded will be publicised on Asidua’s web site and will require the individual to take part in an official photograph and awards ceremony.
The benefit of a scholarship
Scholars will become much more rounded individuals during their time with Asidua. They will enhance the skills and theory they have learnt at University with industrial experience. They will get to work with very experienced individuals who mentor them in software engineering best practices, and will gain real world experience of working in teams and increase their confidence and communications skills in so doing. They will also gain a better understanding of what a career in IT is all about.
The work based learning or placement is invaluable for the student, as they will gain excellent industrial experience during their time with Asidua since they will work on real projects within the Company, and this will increase their chance of employment following graduation.
How it works in practice
When a placement student starts they go through Asidua’s standard induction process in order to gain an understanding of our Company Strategy, how we work operationally, and details of the work area they are being assigned to. A placement student is treated in the same way as a new graduate – we assign them a supervisor within their project team, and we assess their learning and development needs based on what skills they have gained at University and how this compares with what we need within their project area. In addition they are assigned a mentor who works closely with the student during their placement year. Our placement students will work on real projects within the Company.
This means that during each placement slot the scholar will further enhance their skill set and will become more valuable members of the team and contribute more towards to the success of the projects they work on.
How to apply
Scholarship opportunities have been awarded for the 2009/2010 academic year. The 2010/2011 scholarship programme will be open to applications from Autumn 2010.
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All Vacancies
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Project Manager
Project Managers in Asidua ensure that everyone works well together, orchestrating a team through the various phases of the project lifecycle to meet the goals defined by project overview and specifications.
Below you can read more about the skills that are required and the tools used for this role.
The Skills
- Change management
- Communication and building effective working relationships
- Risk management
- Scope management
- Schedule management
The Tools
- Microsoft Sharepoint
- Microsoft Project
- PRINCE2
- SCRUM
Further Information
You will also find useful information in the Our People section. There you will be able to read more about Project Managers in Asidua, including their typical day to day roles, working life in Asidua and information on their career path.
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Validation Engineer
Validation Engineers at Asidua act on behalf of our customers to ensure that what we deliver meets the requirements outlined in the project specification and as defined by our stakeholders.
Below you can read more about the skills that are required and the tools used for this role.
The Skills
- Change management
- Communication and building effective working relationships
- Risk management
- Scope management
- Schedule management
The Tools
- Microsoft Sharepoint
- Microsoft Project
- PRINCE2
- SCRUM
Further Information
You will also find useful information in the Our People section. There you will be able to read more about Validation Engineers in Asidua, including their typical day to day roles, working life in Asidua and information on their career path.
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Developer
Developers in Asidua transform the large scale specification into a living and breathing automated process or hardware solution by customising and integrating technology from our partners.
Below you can read more about the skills that are required and the tools used for this role.
The Skills
- Component Design
- Configuration Management
- Pair programming
- Test-driven development
The Tools
- Embedded C/C++
- Microsoft SOA Suite (C#/.NET)
- Oracle SOA Suite (Java/J2EE)
- Subversion, eclipse, Visual Studio, Git
- UML, XML
Further Information
You will also find useful information in the Our People section. There you will be able to read more about Developers in Asidua, including their typical day to day roles, working life in Asidua and information on their career path.
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Roles with Asidua
Within Asidua, there are a wide variety of roles available to our employees. These include Business Analysts, Developers, Validation Engineers and Project Managers.
To help clarify what each role may entail, information is outlined below in relation to what you can typically expect. This gives a flavour of the roles available; but does not cover each one in detail, particularly in relation to both the appropriate skills and tools.
Our people tend to carry out a variety of roles and employees therefore have the opportunity to work across several disciplines before potentially majoring in one specific area, depending on our business need and an individual’s career aspirations.
To find out more about the roles in Asidua, click an image below.
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Business Analyst
Business Analysts in Asidua engage with customers, gather requirements and propose solution architectures, building a vision that is clear enough for everyone to understand.
Below you can read more about the skills that are required and the tools used for this role.
The Skills
- Architectural modelling
- Communication
- Data Entity modelling
- Process modelling
- Use case modelling
The Tools
- Asidua ADI/ETI
- BPMN
- ERM
- UML
Further Information
You will also find useful information in the Our People section. There you will be able to read more about Business Analysts in Asidua, including their typical day to day roles, working life in Asidua and information on their career path.
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Dublin
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Birmingham
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Belfast
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Current Vacancies
Within Asidua, we provide challenging and motivating work that will be an asset to your career profile. With the wide variety of roles on offer across wide ranging projects, you will find Asidua a fantastic place to work. We also reward you by enhancing your skill-set with ongoing Continuous Professional Development and with an attractive remuneration package.
Outlined below by location are the current vacancies within Asidua. You will find information on the background of each role, including the job description as well as a detailed person specification and information on how to apply.
If you have a general query, please contact us at recruitment@asidua.com and we will be happy to assist.
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Our Scholarships
Asidua launched its annual Scholarship Programme for Northern Ireland Universities during the 2008/2009 academic year. The eligible universities are Queen’s University of Belfast and the University of Ulster.
This fantastic opportunity enables several students from the Universities to benefit from Scholarships worth up to £25,000 over the duration of their degree course.
Students will benefit from industrial experience with Asidua from the end of their first year onwards with summer placements and year out placement being a guaranteed part of the programme.
Students also receive bursary funding during each academic year, as well as payment for the year-out placement.
The Asidua Scholarship Programme supplements the academic learning from University with real-life business experience, working with ICT Professional who are more than happy to share their knowledge and understanding with the Asidua Scholars.
In this secton you can find out more information on;
- Our Scholars - Which hosts regular blog updates from the 2008/2009 Asidua scholars
- Scholarships @ QUB - Giving details on eligible QUB courses and details on how to apply
- Scholarships @ UU - Giving details on eligible UU courses and details on how to apply
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Job Alerts @ Birmingham
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Experienced
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Placement
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Graduate
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Job Alerts @ Dublin
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Experienced
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Job Alerts @ Belfast
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Experienced
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Graduate
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Placement
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Scholarship
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Why Join Asidua
To learn more about what is in it for you in joining our exciting and dynamic company, please read on…
Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Target-driven bonus
- Generous pension scheme
- Opportunity to join dynamic project teams, utilising the latest in bleeding edge technologies
- Excellent career progression prospects
- Continuous professional development (CPD) programme
- Inclusive management culture
- Strong CSR ethos
- Preventative healthcare with annual health checks
- Excellent holiday entitlement
- Flexible working ethos
- Salary sacrifice schemes
- Sports & social club (Belfast, Birmingham and Dublin)
- Wii and Xbox available to play during breaks and lunches (Belfast)
- On-site car & bicycle parking (Belfast, Birmingham)
- Local to bus and railway stations (Belfast, Birmingham and Dublin)
Learning & Development Ethos
As a recognised Investor in People, Asidua provides challenging and exciting projects for employees, in addition to providing learning and development opportunities in all appropriate areas, from the latest technologies and platforms to how to engage effectively with colleagues and clients. Our Innovation is coupled with genuine people focus which has developed a positive culture where everyone is committed to achieving the highest standards possible for both the company’s expanding client base and internal customers.
This approach led to the award of Investor in People standard, where IiP auditor Eddie Salmon, commented; “Asidua is very much a learning organization where everyone is encouraged to share knowledge and experience to enrich the proactive and open learning environment which is prevalent throughout the company.”
We are always happy to chat to employees about their career development aspirations and do all we can to facilitate career progression opportunities. Within Asidua our aim is to recruit and retain high calibre, motivated individuals. Asidua thrives because of the success and drive of our employees and we encourage everyone to develop the skills necessary to deliver a high-class performance – whether this is learning about new technologies or about communication skills. As an innovative organisation, we welcome suggestions and new methods of doing things as demonstrated by our ever developing and expanding internal school environment.
In Asidua, our Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme identifies, manages and develops our employees skills so each member of the team is empowered to exceed the expectations of our clients.
Flexible Working
In addition to our Investor in People status, Asidua is also an accredited Employer of Choice, which demonstrates our commitment to actively encouraging work-life balance for employees through a series of innovative policies. Within Asidua, we prioritise the welfare and well-being of our employees and recognise that it is through having effective working practices that our employees are enabled to perform. Our practices include having;
- Forward thinking policies and procedures
- The Asidua Communication for Employees Working Group (ACE)
- Flexible daily working hours (start, finish and lunch times) for everyone
- Flexible working patterns
- Salary Sacrifice Schemes for Childcare Vouchers and Bicycle Purchase
- Generous annual leave entitlement
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Our People
By having a look at this section, you will be able to learn about our people and their experiences in Asidua.
Each profile outlines the decisions our team members have made that brought them to their current exciting and stimulating role with us. These profiles will also give you an insight into a day in the life of different employee roles.
Make sure you have a look at Niall's profile which includes an IT Sector video, in which he talks about his experiences to date within Asidua.
Please check back regularly for more team profiles.
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Careers at Asidua
Asidua employs over 120 professionals and continues to expand: most employees are located at the company's corporate headquarters in Belfast; with other Asidua offices near Birmingham and in Dublin.
In the Asidua careers section, as well as viewing our current vacancies and finding out how to apply, you can also find out more about working life in Asidua, including the type of roles available. You can also visit "Our People" which will give a flavour on what life in Asidua is like from our employees perspective.
We also have information about our Scholarship Programme, where students intending to enter into academic studies at Queen's University of Belfast or the University of Ulster, can find out more information.
To begin your journey with Asidua, please click an area of interest below.
