Skip to main content
Applied Sciences › Computing Science
SFU Co-op Student

A photo of Adam Bignell
Credit
Safe Software Inc
I got to see the various ways the software I was helping create was being applied in the real world. It was a really humanizing experience that coloured the way I saw all tasks moving forward.

This article was originally published on the Safe Software Blog.

Safe Software provided me with everything I didn’t know I wanted from my first software development position. As a fresh co-op student, Safe Software was my first job where I was to be actually programming on a daily basis. In my first weeks (and admittedly months) this was a daunting, challenging, and occasionally frustrating task. Safe, however, was the most fertile possible environment for me to experience these rites of passage.

In my first weeks, it became clear that greenness wasn’t just tolerated but expected, and maybe even celebrated. I was given tasks in such a way to teach me about the codebase as I completed them, and I was always encouraged to ask questions, seek help from my peers, and take my time to get things right. This Socratic Teaching approach made me feel capable while also highlighting the specific areas where I had to grow, and grow I did. The entire process was more than merely professionally fruitful; it was fun. My team lead provided me with constant support and coached me beyond what was needed to simply complete my tasks. Our feature demos gave me a chance to put something I had made on display, and take some individual pride in my work. We also had a week of innovation, where we were given free rein to work on anything we so desired. It was exciting to be given the reins for a while and to see what it feels like to build something truly from scratch. Going in, I had no idea what to expect. Upon leaving, I have a gold standard to hold other employers to. Safe Software knows exactly how to make an employee feel at home, and happy with their daily work.

Safe also works hard to keep its employees up-to-date with new technologies and coding best practices. Time was always made for the professional development of the entire dev staff. We had a full week of afternoons devoted to modern C++ training that was invaluable and had a handful of company lunches where we would watch videos given by leading industry developers. It was very rewarding to see the ways a real-world company applied the theory I have been practicing in school.

The company culture is also worthy of a mention. I’m sure most young developers with eyes on Silicon Valley have heard horror stories of cut-throat competitiveness, complete forfeiture of work-life balance, and so on. The culture at Safe Software could not be further from this. Team bonding and extracurricular fun are nearly unavoidable, and always genuine. The working hours are flexible and fair, allowing employees to tailor their hours to their personal lifestyle needs. Whether I was playing foosball over lunch, playing archery tag as a form of team-building, or attending the countless lunch-and-learns delivered by other staff, I always felt I belonged at Safe. In fact, many co-ops gave lunch-and-learns on topics that had nothing to do with the tech industry. This was a way for the company to learn about us as people and rather than just Software Developers. It is a social, friendly, and inclusive environment with management that leads via mutual respect and trust rather than the threat of strict deadlines and overbearing management.

I was also lucky enough to attend the FME User Conference during my work term. Here I got to talk to Safe’s clients, which itself was a wonderful opportunity. I got to see the various ways the software I was helping create was being applied in the real world. It was a really humanizing experience that coloured the way I saw all tasks moving forward. Features weren’t just enhancements but tools that would help someone I had potentially met. The days of the UC were a real celebration of FME and were very exciting as someone new to the industry. The ways our clients applied the tools we made were inspiring in their creativity. Here were people all over the world that were piecing together the Lego blocks we had provided them into structures I couldn’t have imagined before.

To job-seekers looking for a fulfilling and enriching place to work, look no further. For employers hoping to attract elite developers and impassioned people, take note. Safe Software took an unsure student and turned him into a confident software developer, and I can’t thank them enough.

Beyond the Blog

SFU Co-op Student
visibility  120
Sep 6, 2017

You Might Like These... Tech and Innovation, Social Media, Professional Development, Life Experience

a phone screen displaying the text "Privacy"
The Basics of Facebook Privacy

You open your Facebook account and there it is – your boss wants to add you as a friend! You can’t really ignore her request (she’ll ask you about it the next day), so you go ahead and add her. What’s next? Do you now stop being yourself and stop making jokes about Justin Beiber? Do you stop professing your love for random things?

Person holding a resume
Goodbye Hard-copy and Hello to Electronic Résumés

There are sufficient amount of tips regarding resume writing, but then came along electronic résumés.  Now we have to worry about both methods? Don't panic; here are some shortcuts to e-improve your resume.

View of the city and temple from a height in Japan
Co-op Japan: The Experience of a Lifetime

The Co-op Japan program is more than a way to add an international job to your resume; it can also be a trip of self-discovery.  Two co-op students share their memorable experiences in the Land of the Rising Sun.

You Might Like These... During the Work Term

A young women with glasses is smiling in the camera.
Kayla Wu: Working as a UX/UI Designer in the Financial Sector

SIAT co-op student, Kayla Wu, describes her interesting job as a UX/UI designer at Remitbee. Remitbee is a financial organization whose mission is to “Spark the financial revolution by connecting people and money - across borders, currencies, and cultures and is currently looking to hire 15 co-op students for the Fall 2021 semester, so SFU co-op students seeking for a co-op placement this term are highly encouraged to apply.

a student working on her laptop and drinking coffee
How Can You Stand Out in the Job Market with a Digital Resume?

Want to learn more about portfolios and having a professional image online? Check out this blog on building a digital resume and increasing your competitiveness in the job market!

Image of the Author
Making Wild Ducks Fly: IBM Extreme Blue Internship

Do you thrive on innovation and creativity? Enjoy developing ground-up software solutions? If so, IBM’s Extreme Blue internship is for you. It is where business, innovation, research, and software development meet to provide solutions to satisfy business needs. Read on to learn about Warunika’s experience as an Extreme Blue intern in software development.