Do you feel encouraged to push the boundaries and maybe make mistakes/fail in the process (as a data scientist)?

Hi Chandler, I am in the Software Engineering graduate scheme, but I am happy to share my experience so far in regards to the culture in my team surrounding innovation and making mistakes!

My team is very active in trying to bring new ideas to LBG, namely ideas around Inner and Open Source, so I find my work fulfilling as I know it has potential to shape how we approach engineering as a whole for LBG. I am actively encouraged to suggest ideas on how we could be doing more and improve, no matter how out-of-the-box they may seem. This had lead me to already take charge of one of my ideas, designing and implementing a new sharing feature for our platform, which is a really great opportunity considering I have only been here a few months.

When I first joined I was quite scared of failing, and accidently breaking the platform my team is currently working on. However my Line Manager has really pushed me to go out of my comfort zone, and take on work where I have had lots to learn thus have the potential to make many mistakes. When I have broken code, I have found my team very supportive in helping me fix my error, teaching me about where I went wrong, and making sure others don't make the same mistake in the future. My team has always made me feel like making mistakes is a valuable experience, not a hinderance, as it allows for all of us to learn and move forward.

Overall, I have found innovation and mistake making is embraced in my day-to-day role, and seen as a positive. It has really given me the opportunity to grow my confidence and experience by getting involved in opportunities without fear.

Thank you for your response. Do you find it is typical then to be given so much responsibility (taking charge of your idea, implementing it etc.) from the beginning and if so did you feel you had adequate training or pre-existing knowledge to be able to do this?

It does depend team to team, but I have found that teams are keen to get us graduates involved! I would say I am in a team who is more on the keener side to let me take charge of work, which I really appreciated.

In terms of the how challenging the work is, I come from a non-computer science background so I do often feel like I have lots to learn to complete my work. However, I have been very well supported by my team, who are very generous with the time they give, such as through pair programming together or helping me get up to speed on technical topics.

If you come in with a knowledge of at least one programming language and a passion for coding, you will be able to get stuck in! LBG group provide lots on online training resources, taught courses, and certifications, so there are always resources and people to ask to help improve your skills when you find yourself a bit out of your depth.