Meet Adam. As the newest member to join our Spiral team, Adam has been with us for just over 6 months but has already brought with him a wealth of enthusiasm and keenness to take on a challenge.
Becoming a developer was not a career Adam had initially planned for. Although he always had an interest in subjects like science and software, Adam fell into hospitality, working as a chef for 10 years as a way to support his studies in mechanical engineering.
Now based in Wellington, Adam and his partner had been living in Germany for the last three years. However, like many Kiwis abroad, the outbreak of Covid forced them to reconsider their options, resulting in a move home. Realising he was no longer challenged in his current role, the move allowed Adam to reassess where he was in his career and make the decision to start fresh.
A software development boot camp in Wellington kickstarted his journey on his new career path. Not long after, a job posting for Spiral came through his career advisor. This immediately piqued Adam’s interest and so he contacted Audrey the same day. A job interview led to an offer and the rest, as they say, is history.
‘I feel lucky that Audrey decided to take a chance on me, considering I was new to the industry and a bit older.’
Although still relatively new to the role and the industry, Adam loves the challenges that every day brings. He’s the kind of person who loves to push himself and enjoys overcoming obstacles. With software engineering, you don’t necessarily know the answer straight away but it’s your job to go and find the best solution. This is an aspect of the job that Adam particularly enjoys.
Having been used to working in busy, cramped environments like kitchens, working remotely from home is a new experience for Adam but one that he is acclimatising to well. He enjoys the flexibility it brings and the lack of distractions. Despite having met his team in real life only a handful of times, he already feels like he knows them well thanks to online meetings, Slack and Facetime.
‘All the people I interact with are really smart and on to it, I feel lucky to work alongside them as well as our clients - it’s inspiring.’
Although happy to leave his hospitality days behind, there are some values that Adam has brought forward into his new role:
‘If you’ve got time for leaning you’ve got time for cleaning’
A saying most often heard in the kitchen, Adam likes to apply this to his work at Spiral, knowing that there is always something that he can be putting his best effort into. He’s also the type of person who isn’t happy settling for ‘good enough.’ Adam likes to set high standards for himself and those around him and operates accordingly.
While cooking is still something he loves to do for friends and family on the weekend, he is much happier solving problems daily in his role at Spiral, knowing that his work is creating a tangible difference in the world.
‘My role is busy and challenging and at the same time it’s incredibly rewarding - that’s what I love about it.’