Razor Insights
Introducing Ankur - Software Engineer
Written by Razor
So Ankur, you started with us in September 2022 as a Software Engineer. Over the last few weeks you’ve been working on some pretty cool projects, learnt some new tech and met people across every team. But we want to hear what it’s really been like, warts and all!
You’re a bit of an academic! How did you find yourself working at Razor?
My PhD involved some software engineering and I found that far more rewarding than the wet work in the lab. I always knew that my career in academia was going to be short and I wanted to go into software engineering so when I came across a job advert for Razor, I had a look at the company site and rang up to ask about opportunities, had two informal chats with Patrick then James who both agreed I needed to have an interview ASAP. The rest is history!
We’ve heard that there are some crazy projects going on right now, what’s the most interesting thing you’ve been involved with?
Getting myself into one of the early stage potential client meetings let me get involved very early with a cool project involving x-rays.
How would you describe the culture of Razor?
Razor practices what it preaches and what Razor preaches: an open, friendly, social and supportive environment to work in. There is a focus on enabling everyone to perform at their best. Asking for help and being honest when you're unable to progress or just not happy with the work is encouraged and praised. Combined with everyone being friendly and sociable, it's really a winning combination.
A good example of this is when I raised a concern that I was being given primarily data engineering tasks and no coding work. Both Head of Production and Head of Delivery checked in and made sure I was heard and given work that aligned with what I wanted to do and they both thanked me for bringing it up so they could address the concern.
We’ve all heard about Gary’s legendary nights out! What’s he really like to work with?
You haven’t passed probation until you’ve officially been on a night out with Gary! (Okay, so that isn’t official policy but it's certainly a key milestone in my opinion). Gary is the hype man everyone needs in their professional life. From being encouraged to ask hard questions, support when talking with clients, to just a pat on the back for a job well done, he’s quick to encourage self confidence in your work and to praise good work. He’s also not afraid to let you know when you can improve but it's always constructive, you walk away with your standard bar set a bit higher.
Outside of the project work, what goes on behind the scenes that makes Razor a cool place to work?
The free food and treats… Actually there's quite a few things but one of the standouts would be the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone and learn something completely new or interesting.
Razor is a really diverse bunch of people and for someone who loves to have a chat, it's like a kid in a candy shop. Snowboarding tips from the CTO or the best places to go eat/drink with Nathan and Tom or hand rolled memes, fresh off the blockchain with Nick and Darius. You’re surrounded by passionate people who are more than happy to share their interests. The free food and treats are really good though!