XM Knowledge Base
Why Qualtrics
‘Why Qualtrics’ – Derek D., Software Engineer, Qualtrics – Dublin
What is your 'why'?
I love to solve problems. Being in an environment with people who share this love is a must for me! There is a serious sense of accomplishment when you work out a tricky problem and when you have a great group of people that you can do this with, it's even better.
How does Qualtrics connect with your 'why'?
Qualtrics has given me the chance to work with this amazing group of people and solve some crazy problems!
What attracted you to Qualtrics in the first place?
The opportunity to be in an environment that has the best of both worlds. On one side of it, you have an established company that's been around for a long time. On the other, you have a company that's growing like crazy and is very similar to a start-up. To have the chance to be in an environment like this where there is a ridiculous amount of stable growth was one I couldn’t turn down.
What was the turning point where you 'had to have the job'?
The interview process really surprised me. It was so transparent and quick and the people I interacted with during it were so friendly and helpful. This was a massive green flag for me and really made me want to work here. It hasn't disappointed!
What does your day look like?
I get in the door at 8:45, grab some breakfast (usually a Vithit, melon bowl and a fulfill bar). Just after breakfast at 9 I’ll check emails, calendar and plan out my day. After that's done I go for quick coffee before our daily standup at 9:40 where we all give a brief update on our projects. I then usually code all the way up to lunch at 12 with a walk at 11 in between to break the time up. I start coding again around 1ish. Ping pong & coffee comes at 3 (I’m slowly but surely getting better at it). After ping-pong, I squeeze in a little bit more coding and usually finish the day out with some sort of meeting/class or drinks depending on how late in the week it is!
What is your favorite part of your role?
The learning aspect really does it for me. I’m surrounded by a lot of really really smart people and I’m constantly learning something new of them all the time! I’d safely say I’ve learned more in my few months here than across the four years of my degree!
What surprised you most about working at Qualtrics?
How flexible things are. The emphasis is on getting the job done itself instead of how it's done. It makes things so much easier for me and means I can do work the way I feel most comfortable (within reason!). I’ve a lot of respect for the company and management to put so much trust in their employees.
What is your top #LifeHack?
Plan a little: I’m naturally a very unorganised person so it’s hard for me to plan. But it pays off big time. Taking 10 mins out at the start of your day to think about what you have done and what you want to get done is super important. The daily standups get you into that mindset which really helps!
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Derek Daly is a Software Engineer in Qualtrics' Dublin, Ireland office. He holds a international bachelors in computational thinking with first class honours from Maynooth University. . |
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