Kiowa Daly, Guidewire Software

What does a typical day look like for you?

I start my day by doing code reviews. This is to make sure that the changes that my team have made are following best practices and cloud standards. We then have a meeting midday to discuss any issues we might have and any problems that need to be resolved.

After the meeting, I make configurations and code changes and relay those changes to the customer and make sure that they’re happy with them.

What are the main skills you need to be successful in your roles?

For my role you need good leadership skills and good communication. As a consultant, I need to have good technical skills, but I also need to be able to relay that to customers and explain why I am making the changes and how they improve the overall product. Leadership skills help me manage small teams and explain to them how to communicate with the customer and how to make changes themselves.

What was your career break?

I studied computer science at UCD. I went into that course with no technical knowledge, and I fell in love with it in the first few years. Towards the end I had a chance to do an internship over the summer. In my final year I decided to apply to Guidewire. I had looked up the company and I enjoyed reading about the company and what they do so I applied for their grad programme. The grad programme helped me develop all the skills that I needed to get to where I am today. I recently finished the grad programme and I moved on to a more senior role.

What advice would you give to a student?

I found that my problem-solving skills really helped me. I enjoyed doing puzzles throughout university. I got into the mindset of thinking outside the box.

If you’re interested in the tech sector, it’s a key skill to learn. Lots of companies need people who think outside the box as everyday there will be new issues that need you to dig deep and be creative to solve.

What do you like about your job?

My favourite part of this job is the people. I came straight from university. It was difficult to join the tech sector at first, I felt like I didn’t know anything but the people at Guidewire really helped me feel at home. They helped me with any question I had.

How have you adjusted to working from home?

Adjusting to working from home was quite easy for me as I graduated during the pandemic. My first day was a zoom call. Guidewire took the time to make sure that we felt heard, and we felt that we got to know everyone on the first day. Now with Guidewire’s brand-new office, it’s nice to see people in person again.