Life of a lead developer

What sorts of projects does an technology contractor get involved with? And what are the main benefits of IT contracting? We spoke to the lead developer at a leading international bank to find out more.

I work within the market risk function as an technology project manager for a leading international bank. I lead a team of three developers and we work on tactical projects typically lasting between a few weeks and a few months.

We are essentially responsible for building applications in support of risk management. 

What skills do you see as important in your existing role? 

Solid business and technology knowledge are the most important skills but being capable of partnering effectively with the business is also key. I work across all technologies, primarily VB, VBA and Access but also Sybase, MSSql and C# so knowledge in these areas is essential.

What made you get into technology contracting?

Apart from a period of three-and-a-half years when I was in a permanent job, I have been working in various technology contract roles since 1993. In college I worked on an technology project and loved it. Really, it is a hobby that has developed into a job.

I started by working on technology projects in the defence industry for ten years before taking a role in banking & financial services, which I really enjoyed. I have been working in the sector ever since. I really enjoy the challenge of the financial services industry – it is rapidly changing and very taxing. I have also worked with some really talented people, who it has been brilliant to learn from.

What advice would you give someone looking to get into technology contracting?

The main advice I would give is expand your skill set as much as you can to make yourself as employable as possible. While a number of technology roles within finance have been off shored, banks are unlikely to relocate their front offices to other countries in the same way. People with front office business experience will always therefore get jobs.

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