Tag: Meet the team

3Squared’s monthly ‘Meet the team’ feature with Jake Minor, Associate Software Engineer

This month’s ‘Meet the team’ features Jake Minor, Associate Software Engineer, who initially joined the team on his placement year whilst studying at Sheffield Hallam University, and who returned to the team as a graduate last year.

 

Hi Jake, can you tell us about your favourite thing about working at 3Squared?

 “My favourite things about working at 3Squared is the amount of opportunity for growth which is present at the company.

“Since returning to the company after graduating 8 months ago – I’ve been able to take on responsibilities such as leading development on RailSmart Path Planner and our internal UI package, enhance the company’s relationship with Sheffield Hallam by getting the business involved in the Scrum project, contributing towards key decisions around the companies process whilst feeling supported by more senior members of the team. By having this responsibility, it had helped me to feel like I’m really contributing to the business and allowed me to improve my technical and non-technical skills as a Software Engineer in a structured and well supported environment.

“Another thing which contributes to the opportunity of growth is down to the talented and passionate individuals which 3Squared employs. Working alongside these people who have different passions and skills about their area of expertise has helped me continue growing as a Software Engineer and a Professional as everyone is very friendly and willing to teach you something which they know about!”

 

What initially drew you to the role and working for 3Squared?

“Whilst looking for placement opportunities during my second year of university, 3Squared came to Sheffield Hallam and delivered a talk on what it was like to work at the company. The talk covered topics around the Rail industry, the company’s culture and the technologies stack. The talk was very laid back however insightful and the employees who were involved it genuinely seemed like they enjoyed delivering it and were passionate about the work which they were doing. Off the back of this presentation, I was exposed to how enjoyable the culture is and how interesting the work is at 3Squared!

“Once I had finished my placement with 3Squared, members of staff I’d been working with or had become close to kept in touch and the company continued to invite me to different socials which they were hosting. This really made me feel as if I was part of the team and in conjunction with my extremely positive placement experience drew me back to the company after graduating.”

 

What excites you about the industry and the world of rail technology?

 “The main thing which excites me about the world of rail technology, especially the technology which we develop at 3Squared, is that I know the work which we do is making a serious difference to the Rail Industry. Knowing that people are using the solutions which I contribute towards and get genuine value out of them to make their job easier which in turn improves the efficiency of the Rail Industry is very exciting!”

  

Can you tell us more about the project with students at Sheffield Hallam that you’ve been involved with?

“During the second year of the Software Engineering and Computer Science degree, students are required to complete the Scrum Project. The Scrum Project requires the students to interact with real clients to gather requirements, design and develop a solution and effectively manage a project.

“The Scrum project is a great opportunity for Students to get real life experience with clients and an understanding of how to run a project effectively and successfully. It also allows them to explore the different roles required to create quality software and how each of those roles interact with each other across the Software Development Lifecycle. My experience of doing the project propelled my learning and allowed me to apply my knowledge around managing and contributing towards a software project to my university assignments and my Placement interview at 3Squared!

“From 3Squared’s perspective, getting involved in the project allows us as a business to provide an opportunity for students to gain an understanding over what we do at 3Squared and potentially spark an interest in Rail Technology. It also allows 3Squared to find some potential placement or graduates which could effectively contribute to the business.

“The process started off with myself getting in touch with Sheffield Hallam on behalf of 3Squared and expressing interest about getting involved in the Scrum Project. Once we had confirmation from Sheffield Hallam that we were on board, they required us to write a project specification which the Students could develop in a 2 week period.

“After brainstorming potential project ideas with some of the senior members of the 3Squared development team. We decided to challenge the students to create a National Map. As an MVP, we asked the students to display the movements of active trains which were happening across the UK. Once we had an idea of the MVP, I started to write up the specification which explained: key terms which the student may come across during project, a suggestion of technologies that the students could use; these were based on the technologies we use at 3Squared, what the deliverable should look like and a range of screenshots of our solution.

“Once the specification had been reviewed by a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam, the project was put forward to the students and our project gained interest from 11 students in total with one remoting in from Australia! Once the teams had been formed, we went down to Sheffield Hallam to introduce ourselves and answer any questions the students had about the project specification. During the visit, I also gave a demonstration of BulkSmart’s National Map to give the students a clearer understanding of what we were expecting them to create and to allow them to ask questions about our implementation.

“On the 13th February, the first Sprint week commenced and on the 17th February a Senior Developer and I went down to Hallam to review what the students had made during the week. During the visit, the two teams gave a demonstration of what they had created in the week and we were really happy with what the students had achieved! Both teams had managed to achieve the MVP for the project within a week and had spoken about plans to further enhance their solution during the next sprint based on their own ideas and our feedback.

“The final review for the students project is on the 31st March and we’re really excited to see the teams final implementations and we’re hoping to get them up to the 3Squared office to demonstrate what they’ve done to the wider team!”

 

Thanks for giving us an insight into life at 3Squared, Jake. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]

 

3Squared ‘Meet the team’ – Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager

Graphic with photo of Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager.

This month’s ‘Meet the team’ features Marie Hanby, our Marketing Manager who joined our team late last year. We chatted about the swanky 3Squared office, what initially drew her to the role, and how important communications is.

Photo of Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager.

Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager.

Hi Marie, can you give us an insight into your role and day-to-day at 3Squared?

As with any new job, there is lots to do.  Our team is currently implementing an exciting new marketing plan. As Marketing Manager, I’m balancing a number of different key aspects from digital to print, whilst aligning these with our sales and customer success teams.

What’s your favourite thing about working at 3Squared?

For me, I have to say the 3Squared office! The central city location means it’s great for lunch time – whether that’s for food or shopping.  The office itself is also really swanky, with a great coffee machine, not to mention a fantastic team of people.

 

What initially drew you to the role and working for 3Squared?

The role itself ticked all the boxes for me and was a great match for my skillset. Plus, joining this industry presented an exciting new challenge in my marketing career. The recruitment process was weirdly enjoyable! Everything was just a great fit, and it was an easy yes when they offered me the position.

 

How have you harnessed your experience from other industries and previous roles?

I have worked in a marketing capacity for 25 years in different industries. It’s great to be able to bring that wide range of cross-sector experience to 3Squared. Coming into a new role with a fresh perspective and unique experience can be helpful in itself, and I’ve enjoyed bringing this to 3Squared.

 

How important is communications for 3Squared?

Very. We have a range of innovative, digital solutions that can help transform the railway and make a real difference, from safety to efficient operations. Communications plays a central role in reaching the right people who we can help, whether that’s posting on LinkedIn or meeting new people at events.

 

What excites you about the industry and the world of rail technology?

3Squared have technologies and innovations that provide solutions to key industry challenges and enable positive change. There are a multitude of opportunities where technology can play a key role in making the industry not only more efficient, but also greener. It’s great to be part of the 3Squared team who are making a difference and to play a part in communicating this message to the rail industry and beyond.

 

Thanks for giving us an insight into your role, Marie. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]

3Squared ‘Meet the team’ – Jason Greig, Sales and Account Manager

Photo of 3Squared Sales and Account Manager Jason Greig

3Squared Sales and Account Manager Jason Greig

In our first ‘Meet the team’ instalment of 2023, we spoke to Jason Greig, Sales and Account Manager, on the power that engagement and collaboration have in his role, what drew him to a career in rail and how technology can overcome a diverse range of customer issues:  

Hi Jason, what are your main roles and responsibilities at 3Squared?  

My main role is to ensure that we are the go-to business for technology solutions within the rail sector. This means building relationships within the sector, so I can advise where 3Squared can offer support in resolving customer issues. 

What drew you to your role at 3Squared?  

I moved back to Sheffield and was looking for a forward-thinking company to work for. My role at 3Squared was suggested by a colleague who works for the parent company, EPM Group. Having viewed some of the information on the company, it was a no-brainer that this was the right company for me. 

Can you provide us with an overview of your experience to date and what drew you down your career path?  

I have been in tech sales for 20 years, predominantly in the Apprenticeship/Education sector. I don’t think anyone ever chooses sales as a career path, but I soon discovered I was good at it, and that I enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of supporting customers in successfully solving their issues. I have limited rail experience; however, this is growing daily, and I do know how to solve customer issues through harnessing technology.  

What excites you about the world of rail technology?  

Rail technology is fascinating, and I never knew there was so much brilliant technology being used in the sector. That said, there are still some old-fashioned ways of working taking place, where the introduction of tech could make such positive differences if it’s adopted in the right way- not just from a process perspective, but also time, money, and risk. 

Having family in the rail sector gives me an insight into the day-to-day processes and challenges that you may not always get visibility of in a B2B conversation. A combination of this and discussions with our customers and prospects, leads me to believe that there is still a long way to go with getting tech embedded in some areas of the sector, something that I think 3Squared can play an integral role in.  

How integral are collaboration and engagement to the world of rail?  

Quite simply, massive. 

What do you enjoy about the working culture at 3Squared?  

Since joining 3Squared, I have been made to feel very welcome. There is lots to do internally which will make us more efficient and enable us to have more impact externally.   

I have very little doubt that the 3Squared team will pull on each other’s strengths to ensure that we are successful. This winning culture is one of the reasons I was attracted to the company. 

Being new to the rail industry I am currently building my network so please watch out for my call, email, or LinkedIn connection request. I am sure that we have solutions that will be able to help most companies in the rail sector and look forward to forging connections and relationships in 2023.  

Thanks for giving us an insight into your role, Jason. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]