Graduate Series: Meet Rhomil

Hear from our graduate developer, Rhomil. Rhomil joined us a little over a year ago and so knows first-hand the challenges that face graduates entering the workforce.

What has been the most surprising aspect of transitioning from university to the professional world?
Since I’ve completed an internship before, I had a good idea of how things would work. However, time management in the workplace is quite different from university. At uni, we’re often overloaded with tasks, but here, there’s more structure and direct mentorship, which provides more support.

How are you applying the skills or knowledge you gained in school to your role so far?
Having a broad, fundamental understanding of how things connect has been really helpful. None of the skills I learned in uni have gone to waste so far.

What challenges have you encountered in your first few weeks, and how have you approached them?
I took a slow and steady approach to getting up to speed, which initially felt like I was taking too long, but it paid off in the long run. One challenge has been dealing with asynchronous tasks; if something is blocked, I need to move on to something else and return later. This has helped me improve my time management and organisational skills. I’m still experimenting with what works best for me.

What kind of support or mentorship have you found most helpful as a new graduate entering the workforce?
The buddy system and having a tech lead who is always available have been incredibly valuable. Everyone is helpful and supportive, and I never feel like I’m wasting anyone’s time when asking technical questions. Having direct access to people has been key.

How do you see your role evolving, and what are your goals for personal and professional growth in the next year?
I’d like to take on more technical tasks and find areas where I can make a real impact. My goal is to work on more open-ended challenges where I can take the lead and self-direct work.

What tools, frameworks, or programming languages have you been exposed to in your role that were new to you?
I’ve been exposed to Classic ASP, XML, Angular, TypeScript, SQL, XSLT and some of the tooling around configuration.

How do you collaborate with other engineers or departments when working on larger codebases or projects?
Collaboration involves a lot of asking questions and sharing information. There’s open communication across teams and grads often help each other out. I also work closely with QA to solve problems.

Would you recommend NextGen?
Absolutely! NextGen does a lot of things right. It’s a great experience as a grad, with plenty to learn and a unique position in the industry. You feel like you’re really adding value. It’s a very friendly, caring and supportive place to work: the managers genuinely put effort into their teams.