Profile
Iain Millar
My CV
-
Education:
Eastwood High School.
University of Glasgow. -
Qualifications:
Highers (English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, History).
Sixth Year Studies (Maths, Physics).
University (BEng in Electronics and Software Engineering). -
Work History:
Summer job – Linn Hifi – PCB builder (building electronic boards).
First fulltime job – BT – Software Engineer. Did a summer placement with them between 3rd and 4th years at Uni and was offered a job on graduation. Did 8 years from Graduate Developer to Senior Developer developing code that helped match and clean up customer data.
-
Current Job:
Senior Software Engineer for Visa. Part of the newly acquired Digital Ticketing team that was once known as Ecebs. Been here for 12 years now and have a wide range of responsibilities (design work, customer discussions, overseeing development activities).
-
About Me:
Software engineer, CoderDojo leader and STEM Ambassador. Away from this I enjoy family time, badminton/tennis, books and stealing a shot of the kids Xbox (I am a Rocket League master!).
-
Read more
I live in Glasgow with the family – 1 wife, 2 boys and 1 dog (an older lurcher that thinks he’s still a puppy).
Our favourite family activities are card/board games – Uno Flip’s +5 card can cause some arguments! For the Xbox/Switch I am the Rocket League master, everything else the kids can generally beat me at (especially Fortnite).
Favourite films are sci-fi or Pixar movies. Current tv choice is Gravity Falls. I like trying lots of different book genres (including David Walliams that I read to the kids!) and I love getting them as gifts.
Sarcasm is my super-power.
-
Read more
The company I work with develops applications and websites that commuters can use to travel by smartcard or phone app rather than pay cash. It’s much easier than needing to use cash every day!
My specific role is a senior developer within the team that builds all these applications. When a change is needed in these system then it is my job to: discuss with customers and colleagues, design the code changes needed, oversee the development and testing of the changes.
For example – one customer wanted to be able to allow discount codes to be used to reduce price of tickets. I had to:
- Discuss customer requirements e.g. turn their rough ideas into a list of specific changes.
- Write a design document e.g. detailed how we could change our websites to allow this (and not risk people getting free tickets!).
- Assign development work to colleagues and work with them to make the code changes.
- Review changes made by colleagues.
- Agree with test team how this could be tested.
- Sign off that development was complete and tested.
- Demo changes to customer and discuss how best to start using it.
I like all parts of my job, but my favourite parts are designing solutions with new technology or looking at strange bugs (faults in code) and working out what’s going wrong. Essentially all coding is problems solving, but these more complex problems keep the brain working hard.
-
My Typical Day:
I get up with the kids and check emails/message while preparing for the day. On arriving at the office I start the laptop and catch up with colleagues. Then it’s a mix of problem solving, design, emails and meetings. Always make time for some breaks and even some lunchtime sport if possible.
-
Read more
7am – Get up when the kids wake me (normally too early!).
7am – 8:40am – During prep for school/work I will check email/messages on laptop or phone in case colleagues need quick answers to things (we have colleagues all across the world so emails come in at all times).
9:30 am – On arriving in office after the school run I chat with colleagues while the laptop starts. Then it’s a further look at emails before the first meeting of the day.
10 am – Our “catch-up” meeting at 10am allows us to see how work is progressing and people can mention any problems.
10:30 – The rest of the day is a mix of:
- problem solving issues with colleagues (chatting, using whiteboards, trying code changes).
- designing new changes in documents or diagrams.
- meetings with customers to talk about their problems or new work.
- meetings with colleagues to plan/design new changes.
12:30 pm – It’s not all work, I also take time to chat to colleague or head out at lunch with some of them for some tennis/badminton (or online games when working from home).
5:30 pm – At the end of the day I again catch up with other developers to check they’re not stuck on issues, and then do a last few emails before closing the laptop and heading home.
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Sarcastic STEM solver
What did you want to be after you left school?
An engineer of some sort. Did Electronic and Software Engineering at uni to have options.
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not a lot, but occasionally.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Ben Folds
What's your favourite food?
Pizza
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1) Healthy family; 2) More money for less work; 3) Eat all the junk I wanted but stayed fit.
Tell us a joke.
What goes black, white, black, white, black, white .......... a penguin rolling down a hill.
-