The exciting world of a tech grad at Vodafone

My journey before Vodafone really prepared me for a successful career in the tech industry, and now that I’m here, I am excited to continue growing and learning. Currently, I am on the Group Software Engineering Discovery Graduate programme, based in the London office. My first rotation is in the Office IT - Strategy Design & Architecture (SD&A) - Strategy & Innovation team, and I’ve already been involved in lots of great events and projects.  

I’ve participated in the Hackalympics, a company-wide, global competition where you work in teams to develop innovative solutions to enhance customer experience in the customer pillar challenge. I’ve also worked on the Office IT (OIT) Innovation Experiment Study, which aims to explore the potential of integrating advanced AI with existing systems, and TechBoost, an initiative to engage and support tech graduates in delivering innovative projects.  

Pre-Vodafone 

During my time at the University of Exeter (BSc (Hons) in Computer Science), I was actively involved in various extracurricular projects. These included: being Head of Tech at the Exeter Entrepreneur Society, where I led and taught an eight-week Python beginners bootcamp for 300+ student on campus; helping to organise, hosting and running the largest hackathon in the South West of England, partnered with Atos; and working as a Project Manager and Video Producer for Intelligent AI Ltd via SETSquared Partnership.  

In-Vodafone 

My 1st rotation role here at Vodafone was acting as a Technical Product Manager for my Grad Project: Vodafone Office Space 360 View. This involves initiating, leading, and developing a brand new in-house virtual reality tour project after identifying internal service gaps and demand. I have been responsible for designing the web-app architecture, delivering features using HTML, CSS, and JS stack, and collaborating with key stakeholders across Office IT and Group Property.  

A significant achievement was successfully presenting an MVP demo to senior leaders, inside & outside Office IT, showcasing the 3rd and Ground floor of the Paddington office.  

This project has allowed me to enhance my technical, project management, and stakeholder engagement skills. I have been able to apply my knowledge from my tech background to drive innovation and create value for the company, and I am excited to continue seeing it through to completion and making a tangible impact on the way our employees interact with their office spaces, globally. 

The Hackalympics 

The Hackalympics is a global competition that challenges teams to push beyond barriers and inspire a new wave of technological advancements to better serve our customers. Participants from all parts of our global business are invited to ignite their creativity and solve real-world business problems aligned with our strategic pillars of Customer, Simplicity, and Growth.  

My Hackalympics team worked on a project called Customer Video Chat, where I served as the UI/UX Designer and Developer. I delivered a slick custom video conferencing UI, and a data-responsive dynamic UI/UX for a Pexip-based full-stack web app for real-time communication between retail store agents and customers for Vodafone’s retail website.  

I’ve never worked on Pexip, so one of my main challenges was ensuring seamless integration with the existing Pexip framework. Additionally, coordinating with team members across different time zones and managing tight deadlines were significant hurdles. However, we successfully delivered the MVP demo video on time and received positive feedback from the judges. Ultimately, we progressed to the semi-final, and won the second-place prize of €1000! 

Overall, it was a great opportunity to showcase skills and creativity in solving real-world challenges. Our aim was to improve customer experience and Net Promoter Score (NPS) on the customer retail website. It was a fantastic learning experience, and I am so proud of our teamwork and dedication. We not only showcased our technical expertise, but also demonstrated our commitment to enhancing customer satisfaction and engagement. I look forward to participating in more events like this. 

The Office IT (OIT) Innovation Experiment Study  

By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and exploring innovative solutions, our OIT project aimed to push the boundaries of what was possible in the realm of AI integration with robotics. It also sought to identify areas for improvement in the integration process and potential future research directions. 

As a Research Engineer, I worked on replicating and integrating a ChatGPT-based dialog system from a GitHub repository for the OIT’s Aldebaran Pepper robot. This involved utilising the NaoQi interface, Google text-to-speech, and OpenAI’s API services. The project concluded with a demo that highlighted the commercial potential of the ecosystem, despite its outdated components, again proving to be an incredibly valuable experience all round.  

TechBoost 

Then there was Tech Boost. I volunteered as the Engagement SPOC, liaising between the Techboost Project Team (TPT) and second-year tech grads for six months. My role involved directing support and liaising with a few Techboost teams throughout the preparation period, and the planning, organisation, and delivery of the final day event.  

It was a rewarding experience to be a part of such an impactful event that nurtures talent and promotes innovation. My contribution was crucial as I helped ensure everything ran smoothly, and that the tech grads had the support they needed to showcase their projects effectively. 

And that’s what I love about Vodafone 

You get the opportunity to work on innovative projects that have a real impact on people's lives. Additionally, the supportive and collaborative environment, along with the chance to learn & develop new skills through rotational exposure to various areas, makes Vodafone an exciting place to work.  

I am particularly excited about my future prospects here. I was recently recognised as winner of the 'Future of Vodafone' Award for Q1, for my leadership and innovation in developing the Vodafone Office Space 360 View project, and my collaborative spirit and dedication to supporting other youth through initiatives like TechBoost. 

I know I will continue working on cutting-edge technologies and contributing to projects collaboratively that drive digital transformation and enhance customer experience, and I can’t wait!