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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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..
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.
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.
Thanks Nick. Much appreciated.
Cheers,
Sonny
Cool! Very enticing… but ahem, one question: what’s the pay like? You seem to have left that out. ![]()
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.
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?
It took about two months for me.
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 ![]()
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.
Hi Mike,
M interview process just started with thoughworks.Could you tell me about the interview process of how it could be like….
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.
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
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.
thanks nick will keep you posted and hoping to join TW.
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?
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.