I joined Caplin around ten years ago as an SDET (Software Development Engineer In Test) when Caplin were based in Finsbury Square. I rejoined about a year ago, again as an SDET, but based now in Caplin’s new offices in Leadenhall Street.
I’ve worked in software for over thirty years: twenty as a developer, and the last ten in the QA space… hopefully one day I’ll get it right 😎.
In my original stint at Caplin, I stayed for about a year, defeated by the (Shires-to-Mordor like) commute from Slough. The decision to leave was a difficult one because there was something special about Caplin. It was a family of highly intelligent, driven people who had a passion for what they did, and its leaders worked hard for both Caplin’s employees and its customers. The unique thing about Caplin was that it allowed everyone to be themselves, and it was this freedom, paradoxically, that created a very real and organic sense of affinity for the company.
And oh yes, Caplin had an amazing breakfast bar and held awesome company events!
Despite the passing of ten years, Caplin still retains those amazing qualities. The CEO and CTO have a genuine interest in you and your happiness, and they make time to talk to you. Although I rejoined relatively recently as an SDET, in that period I’ve moved to an architecture role, and I am now transitioning to QA coach role. This is a testament to the dynamic and flexible approach the company takes to support and encourage its people.
My typical day is rarely typical. It can involve agile ceremonies; writing test automation code; exploratory testing for bugs; exploring new ways of working; integrating with other teams; coaching team members; and learning new things about the finance domain and Caplin’s numerous products.
We also have a lot of non-work fun, and it’s easy to make friends here. I get a lot of fulfilment working with talented people who set a high bar, which I strive to meet. Caplin continues to value every individual. When life becomes challenging, as it inevitably does for most, we have supportive managers and HR experts who shift Caplin to work around you.
And yes the breakfast bar, which now offers loads of healthy options (one of which I might try one day), is still great, and the company events are still awesome.