Nick Carroll

I accepted a job offer yesterday and will be working for ThoughtWorks in the new year!

I had a number of job offers to consider, so it was a hard decision in the end. I decided to go with ThoughtWorks because they are a dynamic IT consultancy, that essentially try to make large companies develop software like small more agile companies. They have the culture of a startup, which reminded me of the great times I had working at a startup called Xylogy. A good corporate culture does go a long way in making work fun and enjoyable.

I had the chance to meet a lot of ThoughtWorkers during my brief trip to Melbourne for the Graduate assessment day. Normally in job interviews you only get to meet an HR person and your future manager. At ThoughtWorks you get to meet the whole gang! So you get the opportunity to assess whether what they say about their employees is true or not. I can now vouch that they are a friendly, enthusiastic, and intelligent group of people. They were a lot of fun too, which was kind of strange, because none of my other interviews or assessments with other companies were considered fun!

The graduate day at ThoughtWorks consisted of individual and group activities. These activities tested my presentation, consultancy, and group interaction skills. I have to say that these activities were fun, especially the “competition room” that tested how I would interact with a potential client. However, they were at times quite stressful when the pressure was turned on. I tried very hard to keep my appearances relaxed, focused and confident. However it was a different story on the inside. My brain was switched into overdrive, the adrenaline was pumping, my heart was thumping, and the knot in my stomach was just getting tighter and tighter. It was a buzz, and I enjoyed the challenges they presented to me. If this is any indication of things to come, then I am going to enjoy working for ThoughtWorks!