My Treatwell adventure began earlier this year, as my quest for a job took me to a small business recruitment fair hosted by Nottingham University. It was here that I met Dee, one of the tech recruiters working at Treatwell; who, unlike most of the people I had talked to at the fair, seemed to be genuinely inspired by the company she worked for. Needless to say, she sold me on applying and I haven’t looked back since.

After the initial application, followed by an online test which involved completing both technical and writing challenges, I was invited to a graduate assessment day, hosted at Treatwell HQ in London. This was the final hurdle before I could officially call myself a Treatwellian. The morning before the event was to commence, I was waiting in trepidation for what I thought would be an extremely stressful day, having heard only horror stories from other graduate days. However, upon entering the Treatwell HQ it quickly became apparent that this was no horror story. I was greeted by Lucinda, whose friendly presence instantly welcomed and calmed me all at once. She led me into a room where I was able to meet the other candidates and after a short wait an introductory presentation began. Once the introductions were complete, it was time for the main event: the interviews.

My first interview was based on technical knowledge and it was hosted by Kai, who would later become my manager, and Miguel, a software developer. To begin with I was particularly anxious, however once it began, I found my flow and started to feel more comfortable. Kai and Miguel were both very understanding and reassured me that it wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t understand or know some of the concepts. My second interview was a soft skills interview and was hosted by Lucinda and Colin, who is the head of the graduate scheme. I loved this interview, as it just felt like a conversation from the get go; this was especially nice, as going in, I had no idea what to expect from this type of interview.

My third and final interview was a group interview. I was paired with two of the other graduates and with guidance provided by Colin and Laura, a Product Manager, and this is where we had to work as a team to solve a problem. This was to see how we worked in a team and, more importantly, how we think when we’re working on a problem.

Just like that the day was done. I left for home, unsure whether or not I would be receiving an offer, but happy to have experienced the day. From first impressions and the graduate day as a whole, I felt that Treatwell would be an amazing place to work. This realisation made the next week all the more stressful but after an anxious week of waiting, I received a phone call from Colin. I answered the phone in trepidation, a surge of adrenaline rushed over me, followed by relief and then excitement. I had been accepted.

Fast forward a couple of months, I found myself at Treatwell HQ again, not to start work but rather for Friday drinks. This was a chance to meet everyone I’d be working with upon joining and to have a bit of fun. This is a weekly occurrence at Treatwell and is hosted by a different group or team each Friday, making each week special by adding their own theme and personal touch. Furthermore, with the rate at which Treatwell is growing it seems that there is someone new every week, so Friday drinks is great time to meet all the new joiners and make them feel welcome.

As if I hadn’t been welcomed enough before even starting work, I had also been invited to take part in the Treatwell bi-annual hackathon. Here, I was put in a team with the OG Treatwell developer Bogdan, a man with a heart of gold who graciously guided me through the event. Our team developed a facial finder, which helped users find themselves a facial treatment they might like, by asking a series of questions. We then presented this to everyone in company, which was a nerve-racking but rewarding experience.

The time had finally come to start work and although things hadn’t been going my way on the flat hunting front (I was living out of bag, in a hostel), I was ready and eager to start. On my first day, I got to meet my team. Kai, Simon, Will, Dan, Alessio, Renske and Tripti were all as lovely as everyone I had met previously. After introductions, to my surprise I found myself programming, something I thought wouldn’t happen for at least a couple of weeks. This instilled me with confidence and at the same time slightly knocked my confidence, as I found myself asking questions fairly often. But the team were so happy and eager to help it made asking for help an easy thing to do.

A few months have passed at this point and reflecting on the experience so far, it has not been what I expected from a workplace at all. It is a relaxed atmosphere, where I am able to learn on the job with ease, allowing me to glow as a developer. I feel very lucky to have applied here and I’m excited for what the future holds. Treatwell are now looking to bring on a new bunch of bright and intelligent grads. If you think this sounds like the perfect kind of tech grad scheme for you, click here to apply!