Chengxuan X.
About me
| Chengxuan X. | |
| Computer Science | |
| Advanced Computer Science | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 2015 | |
| China |
My employment
| Software Engineer | |
| Kaleido | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Digital and IT services | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2022 |
More about Chengxuan
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A day in the life of a Software Engineer in the United Kingdom
Passion for coding and building systems plus some luck in my interview
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work at Kaleido, building web3 solutions for enterprise blockchains, located near Southampton, UK.
What do you do?
Software engineer.
In Kaleido, my main focus area is building secure and performant blockchain solutions that fits for enterprise needs.
Back in the 6 years I spent in IBM, I was the lead developer for batch processing in integration software, I was also an IBM Senior Inventor.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Passion for coding and building systems plus some luck during the only interview I've attended. I've also done the 2014 extreme blue internship with IBM in Ireland before my Master's degree. My choice was also limited to companies that can provide sponsorship for a Tier 4 (Skilled Worker) visa.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Yes. I originally thought I'd join Blizzard and work on developing World of Warcraft
Describe your most memorable day at work
The day I found my first mentor. It's the best decision I've made for my career growth. We have established a personal relationship beyond work in which he's been given me support in many aspects of my life.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Building something fully customisable but with essential functionalities in blockchain space is challenging as the space is still in a rapid growth period.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
IBM is very inclusive when it comes to culture. Open and Inclusive! Hursley park is an amazing place to visit and walk around.
Kaleido is formed by people that were previously working in IBM, so the open and inclusive culture has been inherited. The work pace in Kaleido is faster than well established companies like IBM. More exciting challenges and opportunities to individuals! Southampton science park is a lovely site to work in.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
An internship with IBM really helped me get a feeling of software development in practice. I've also volunteered as a student teacher to help children with learning disabilities which really helped me to understand others from a different perspective.
What would you like to do next with your career?
Build experience in the blockchain and financial domain to work with enterprises to build the next gen that embrace the web3 evoluation.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Start early!
Be confident and give yourself opportunities to explore different options.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Software Engineer (devOps, Agile, Cloud Computing etc).
My own career experience.
Working in the UK as a foreigner.
Next steps...
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