Posted on 19-03-2007
First Month at ThoughtWorks
Filed Under (ThoughtWorks) by Nick

I have just completed my first month at ThoughtWorks, a milestone for me that is worth blogging about. The month has gone by so quickly, mostly because I am thoroughly enjoying the work, the people I work with, and the culture that attracts so many people to ThoughtWorks like a moth to a flame. Since top ten lists are in vogue, I will give a list of reasons why I have enjoyed my first month.

  1. Other ThoughtWorkers: I have had the chance to work with some of the most incredible software developers that I have ever met. These guys and gals really know how to thrash a keyboard around when pumping out quality code. It has to be said that working with really talented individuals makes work very enjoyable. Which goes to show that Roy’s social experiment is still going strong after all these years.
  2. Ruby is such a cool programming language and I am so glad that I am working at a company that has completely embraced it. Ruby has been around in the US and Europe for a while, but it is still relatively new in Australia. I am waiting impatiently for the Aussie tech industry to catch up so that I can finally work on a Ruby project.

    Meanwhile I have been ramping up on my Ruby skills, and there is no better place in Australia for learning Ruby. We have some of the best Ruby developers working in Sydney at the new ThoughtWorks Studios, and they open their doors after work each week for us to work on a Ruby project with them.

  3. Agile is certainly an interesting approach to developing software. I have already been thrown head first into a large agile software development project, and I am already hooked on the agile koolaid. Over the weekend our client deployed the first release in time for a public launch of their system. It is the first large scale project that I have worked on, and it was a success right off the bat. The release was completed on-time, on-budget, and with 5 times less defects than any of their previous projects. Being part of a team that produced a result like this certainly made my first month a memorable one.
  4. Open Communication: I have been amazed with how open the lines of communication are within the company. In the first two weeks I had met Martin Fowler our lead scientist, coffee with Bruce the Australian MD, and beers with Roy Singham the founder of the company. They all made themselves available to talk about agile, corporate strategy, and whatever the next big thing might be. I thought it was cool to be able to hang out with these guys. There aren’t many companies out there that have corporate leaders that like to hang out with their employees and have a general interest in them.
  5. Geek Night is just one of many ThoughtWorks events that helps to facilitate knowledge sharing within the company. It is an after work event where developers head back to the ThoughtWorks office for a night of geeking out in front of a computer. We learn a new programming language whilst downing copious amounts of Coke Zero and rice cracker snacks.
  6. Free food: I have put on a couple of kilos since I started work. It has to do with all the lunches and dinners that the company has put on. They keep a fridge stocked with beers, wine, soft drinks and fruit juice. As well as bowls of fruit and cupboards filled with biscuits, chips, and chocolates. Best of all they have a tab going for free coffee at a local cafe!
  7. Consulting Dojo: There is one catch to the free food, on Fridays lunch is provided to attract all the ThoughtWorkers to the office to listen to one of our colleagues present on a consulting related topic. The presentations have been very interesting, and there is always a good turn out. The dojo is another example of knowledge sharing within the company.
  8. Training and book budgets: Each ThoughtWorker is provided with their own personal budget for training and purchasing books. Essentially we are responsible for our own learning and personal development. So we can choose whatever course or conference we want to attend. There is just so much support for our career development.
  9. Brand new Dell Latitude D620: It isn’t a Mac, but I have been very impressed with this piece of hardware. I really like the widescreen display, Intel Core Duo processor, and the feel of the keyboard. It also doesn’t get that hot from extended usage. It is the first Dell I’ve used, and I’m very happy with it.
  10. Mobile phone and home broadband: This is a nice perk, having your company pay for your mobile phone and home broadband bills. I can finally afford ADSL2!

    11. If this list makes you want to quit your job and work for ThoughtWorks, then you should seriously consider it. ThoughtWorks is on a recruiting rampage as we are experiencing tremendous demand for our services. Although you might want to quit your job after you have received an offer of employment as the recruiting process is quite lengthy, and only the best candidates make it through.

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Comments

Matt Buckland on 20 March, 2007 at 7:42 pm #

Hi Nick,

It seems like you’ve come a long way since we met at your graduate assessment centre! It’s great that you seem to be enjoying it so much! I’m pleased that it’s everything you wanted and then some - even if one of your top ten is the free food! The Thai food in the Melbourne office is good though…


Isaiah on 24 March, 2007 at 8:29 pm #

hey nick,
wow man it like an awesome place to work at, seems like they do really cool stuff with a wide range of technologies. hmm maybe i apply for the one in the uk, see what happens.


Cibbuano on 4 April, 2007 at 10:06 am #

Sounds like you’re living large…

Reminds me of the tech boom in 2000 - the crash was pretty hard, though.

Are you ready for the crash?

I see Google is on a hiring rampage as well..


Sonny on 9 May, 2007 at 7:00 pm #

Hi Nick,

Do you know that you are on first page of google search on ‘apply job at thoughtworks’ :)

I hope I am not bothering you, I would be grateful if you could answer a couple of questions from me.

Is Thoughtworks (Australia) hiring developers from overseas as well?
I am in Malaysia, but I lived in Australia for about 5 years in late 90’s, and I am keen to come back there.
Could you possibly take a look at my resume at http://sonnygill.wordpress.com/resume/, and give me some idea whether I stand a chance if I were to apply.

Thanks much, I really appreciate any help that you can give.


Nick on 11 May, 2007 at 10:48 pm #

Hi Sonny,

You are most welcome to apply to ThoughtWorks through the jobs application site (link above). You’ll hear back from a recruiter if your resume strikes a chord with them. We’ve got quite a few international people in the Sydney office, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I see you working here one day!

Cheers,
Nick.


Sonny on 12 May, 2007 at 5:32 pm #

Thanks Nick. Much appreciated.

Cheers,
Sonny


Josh on 5 August, 2007 at 8:16 am #

Cool! Very enticing… but ahem, one question: what’s the pay like? You seem to have left that out. ;-)


Nick on 5 August, 2007 at 1:59 pm #

Hey Josh, I left remuneration out because it seems to be based on a per person basis. However, I believe their pay is competitive. The package that I accepted was a lot higher than what other companies were offering at the time. They seemed to be the only company that valued someone with a PhD.

Their pay probably doesn’t compare that well to contract work, but then what permanent position does? Some people feel happy doing contract work, but I never liked it when I did it. I prefer job security and knowing where my next pay cheque is coming from.


ballerina on 8 October, 2007 at 11:11 pm #

Sh*t, I’m too excited reading at your blog. That’s it. I’ll quit as soon as possible and go to TW :D.

Btw, when you said that the recruitment process is quite lengthy, how long did it took for you?


Nick on 8 October, 2007 at 11:23 pm #

It took about two months for me.


Mike on 6 January, 2008 at 5:27 pm #

Hi Nick,

I’ve been thinking about applying for a job there (the Australian office) but I’m not sure if I’m keen on doing lots of travelling (and certainly not keen on moving to another country).

How much of a hindrance do you think an aversion to travel would be in terms of my hire-ability? How much travelling have you done while at TW?

Thanks for any help :)


Nick on 6 January, 2008 at 7:26 pm #

Hi Mike,

The only compulsory travel that I know of is for all new hires to attend either ThoughtWorks University or Immersion in Bangalore.

I am based in the Sydney office in Australia. Last year I spent about 4 months working in Brisbane, and I quite enjoyed it there. I got to escape from the cold weather during winter in Sydney.

I don’t know what impact your aversion to travel will have during the recruitment process. I would say that ThoughtWorks would still hire you if you have the technical or analytical requirements that they look for in each candidate. There are some people in ThoughtWorks that have never done any traveling since they started, but you can use this to your advantage.

In my opinion you are presented with more opportunities to advance your career with a greater range of roles to choose from. Not all senior developers or project managers are able to travel as they may have kids, so you have a better chance of getting more challenging work if you are willing to travel.

You don’t have to work in another country if you don’t want to. A lot of people look for travel in their careers, and ThoughtWorks makes it very easy to live and work in another country. I plan to work in another country towards the end of this year to experience starting up a new office for ThoughtWorks.

Hope this helps with your decision.

Cheers,
Nick.


senthil on 15 May, 2008 at 4:49 pm #

Hi Mike,

M interview process just started with thoughworks.Could you tell me about the interview process of how it could be like….


Nick on 15 May, 2008 at 8:17 pm #

I would recommend reading Matt Buckland’s blog at http://mattsdebate.blogspot.com/. He is a recruiter in the UK and sheds some light on the recruiting process and what ThoughtWorks looks for in a new hire.


Fahad Nari on 20 September, 2008 at 7:07 pm #

Hi Nick

I have got selected in thoughtworks india as a Business Analyst. I worked in Satyam Computers India as Business Analyst for 3 years.
TW has mailed me my pay package i have to go ahead and put my resignation.
I like to travel and would like to know the travel opportunities in TW. Is it also possible to get a permanent transfer from TW india to TW Uk or TW australia after a years of work exp in TW.

Please advice


Nick on 21 September, 2008 at 2:50 pm #

Hi Fahad,

The recruiter that you are dealing with at TW would be the best person to answer this question. But generally it is quite easy to get an assignment overseas, especially in countries where there is a lot of demand. Demand in Australia for ThoughtWorks services is quite strong so you won’t have a problem getting a transfer down under.

Cheers,
Nick.


Fahad on 23 September, 2008 at 2:52 am #

thanks nick will keep you posted and hoping to join TW.


Lakshmi on 3 October, 2008 at 6:18 pm #

Hi Nick,

I have been called for an interview at TW India for Business Analyst. Iam excited about TW as a company, it seems to be a great place to work in. I ve come across a lot of Thoughtworkers’ blogs and see so much passion in them; even the website isnt the average IT company website, Iam totally impressed!

Could you throw some light on the career path for Business Analysts in TW? And what to expect in terms of salary for a BA with 6 yrs exp?


Nick on 3 October, 2008 at 8:55 pm #

Hi Lakshmi,

I can’t speak for the BAs in India, but in Australia the BAs work closely with both the development team and the business. They gather requirements and collate them into stories for just-in-time analysis for the development team. They also facilitate meetings such as retrospectives and showcases.

I cannot comment on salary as I do not know what BAs earn in India. This is something you should speak to your recruiter about.

Cheers,
Nick.


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