Life as an Android Developer at Sky

My name’s Verity Marsterson, Android Developer in the MySky app team – and my role is to write the code that allows you to interact with that.

I work with lots of different stakeholders and lots of different people within my team. We make sure that we’re getting our delivery dates, we’re getting our products out on time and that we’re getting it in a way that suits the customer. Ensuring what we deliver is better for the customer, making sure that the product is something that we’re really proud of.

Working with Accessibility

In addition to my role in Android Development, I work specifically on accessibility, which is my passion project. Making sure that the app is usable for people that have visual impairments or if they struggle to hear, for example.

You can still access all of that content and you have reading apps that the customer can see what’s on the screen, or can hear exactly what’s on the screen, and still be able to use our products app in the same way that any other customer would be using it.

Growth and Development at Sky

I came into Sky having zero experience with coding. I started as a Web Developer, where I built some experience with HML, CSS, JavaScript – and then was given the opportunity to join the MySky app team, so that I could learn Kotlin.

Being able to come in as a junior and come up with ideas on the projects that’s going to go directly to thousands of customers is amazing. Having Senior Developers and say “That’s a really great idea.”, and genuinely wanting to invest in some of my ideas made me feel like I was important and I was included.

I know a number of people who have then gone from technical roles, into soft skill roles or management roles. I wanted to go back to web development, I’ve always got the opportunity to look within the business and try out different areas and different regions.

Projects in Diversity and Inclusion

I also work within Diversity and Inclusion in the ‘Tech for Everyone’ working group, to work on progression, representation, education within Diversity and Inclusion. Sky recognises that it’s important to have a diverse set of people – with diverse set of ideas – coming through the business, because that’s what creates exciting and innovative ideas and values.

For example, we did events around International Women’s Day, Ada Lovelace Day, Men’s Mental Health Awareness Day as well, where I got to interview Clarke Carlisle; ex-professional footballer!

It’s really, really great to see that what I’m passionate about, Diversity and Inclusion, Sky 100% mirrors and 100% supports me with training, funding and support within the business to make it happen. And the people around me are also really keen to give back.

Support and Guidance in a Great Working Environment

The office environment has a combination of relaxed, chilled, working and focus areas. That means that you can collaborate with colleagues/managers, and work with them in different areas, which really supported me. Especially when I first started and didn’t exactly know what was going on.

If you’ve got any questions about tech, you know exactly who to message on Slack, or you know exactly who email. And it’s the same within your team; you know exactly that if you’ve got a problem, it’s not scary to reach out to them.

It’s not intimidating to send somebody a message. Everybody’s so approachable and genuinely want to help, and if they can’t help you they’ll point you in the direction of somebody else.