July Spartan of the Month: Ola Ajayi

Congratulations for being named July Spartan of the month Ola! How does it feel?

It feels amazing! I am so happy to be noticed and appreciated for my hard work on client site. I want to continue to make a positive impact within my team and improve my technical skills.

Where did your interest in working in technology start? What did you study at university?

I studied Chemical Engineering at Heriot Watt University. The technical and analytical skills I gained from studying this course helped me a lot when I decided to transition into the tech industry.

I have always been passionate about working in the tech industry; however, I didn’t think I would be able to transition due to my university degree being so different to what is typically required by tech employers.

I came across Sparta Global during my graduate job search. When I started to do more research into Sparta Global, I really liked the company’s culture and the vast number of blue-chip clients they had. Lastly, I loved the fact that Sparta heavily encourages individuals from non-traditional backgrounds to pursue a career in tech. With all this in mind, I knew that Sparta Global would be the right place for me to start my tech journey and so far, my experience has been incredible!

Can you tell us about your Data Engineering training?

I was on the Data Engineering course throughout my time at the Academy and I did all my training remotely. I am currently based in Scotland, so having the ability to complete the course online was a huge relief!

My training was incredibly challenging, yet hugely rewarding at the same time. Coming from a chemical engineering background, I found it initially difficult to change my problem-solving approach to complete coding related problems. Thankfully I got a lot of support from all my trainers throughout the course and their constructive feedback allowed me to excel. I learned so much during my three months at the Academy, that I felt fully prepared for any type of work that came my way on client site.  

What is your current position and with what company?

I am currently a Junior Data Engineer at a leading fashion ecommerce site. I work on an Advanced Analytics Platform and my team consists of more than 20 developers.

I have always been interested in both fashion and technology, but I never really thought about working in the retail tech industry prior to joining my Sparta Global client. I am really enjoying working in this industry, as it has allowed me to appreciate how data driven decisions heavily influence the marketability of different fashion items. 

Tell us a little bit about your day-to-day role. What do you get stuck into technically?

My day starts off by having a daily stand up meeting with the whole team, where we discuss the progress of our respective pieces of work and any potential blockers that we may have and how to best resolve it.

My client uses a Microsoft Azure tech stack for their coding development work and so I have gotten lots of experience working with different Azure cloud services in a data driven organisation. Most of my technical work involves writing T-SQL scripts and writing up unit tests to ensure my code works as intended based on various user case scenarios.

How have you found your first tech role?

So far so good! The work I do is very challenging but hugely fulfilling. I get a lot of excitement from completing a piece of work. No two days are ever the same either. There is so much variety of work to complete within my team, so I am constantly having to problem solve and ask questions to senior developers whenever something is unclear. At times, work can be overwhelming; however, I get loads of support within my team, and someone is always available to lend a helping hand if need be.

And how about working in the technology industry – are you enjoying it?

I am really enjoying working within the tech industry because you never stop learning! The ability to work in an industry where constant self-development is heavily encouraged, is the main reason I love working in tech. I also enjoy the work flexibility that comes with having a tech job, as this allows you to have a better work-life balance.

Do you feel you now have the passion and skill to carve a long-serving career in technology? 

Yes, I do! My Data Engineering training at Sparta Global has provided me with a solid foundation in which I am able to build from. I am now applying the technical knowledge gained from my training into real life development work. The constant support I have been getting from both the staff at Sparta and my client, coupled with my eagerness to learn new things, will set me up to have a long-serving career in technology.

Would you recommend Sparta to other graduates and if so – why?

I would 100% recommend Sparta Global to anyone who has recently graduated or early in their career who is wanting to transition to a career in the tech industry.

Throughout your time in training, you gain so much valuable tech knowledge in a short period of time. All the trainers and course mates will constantly support you in developing your technical and consultancy skills, so that you are job ready by the end of your training!