Rob Pitt recently joined Mtech Access as a Developer working on our iPad applications, web-based tools and Veeva-integrated interactive presentations. These digital tools and presentation aids are used by our Pharma and Medtech clients to share their value story, engage with healthcare decision-makers and build a case for change. In this interview, Rob tells us about his experience joining Mtech Access and what he’s been working on since joining the team.
What led you to pursue a career as a developer?
I’ve been fascinated by computers ever since my parents gave me a Commodore 64 for Christmas when I was around 10 years old. You had to type the commands to tell it to load the game you wanted to play, rather than just slotting a cartridge in and pressing the power button; it felt so much more involved just for that. I immediately wanted to know what more there was to discover!
My interest never waned through the years, taking me to college for an IT qualification and then on to Oxford Brookes University, where I achieved my degree in Software Engineering.
Despite the wide range of areas covered in my degree course, my creative side drew me more towards the front-end side of development, which involves creating something visual that people can see and engage with as opposed to back-end code. I still had to know how everything worked, however, so I’ve ended up with a solid understanding of all the parts in the stack, thanks to that.
More than anything, I love a good coding puzzle. An unusual problem to solve, an interesting bit of functionality to design, or an unexpected bug to diagnose. There’s always something new to learn in this line of work, and that’s just the way I like it!
What motivated you to join Mtech Access?
Having become somewhat numb to the numerous, generic recruiter messages on LinkedIn, it caught my attention when Mtech Access’s Digital Director Andrew Spencer reached out to me directly to discuss the role. It was clear he’d actually taken the time to consider my experience before contacting me, which went a long way to making me feel like it was worth pursuing further.
From that point on, at each stage of the interview process I had nothing but positive thoughts to take away. Everyone I spoke to during Teams calls and a visit to the Bicester office was extremely friendly, and even a short visit was enough to see that the atmosphere was light and welcoming.
It quickly became clear that the technical expertise of the Mtech Access digital team was very impressive, and the custom tools used in their build process utilised modern techniques that I was very interested in learning more about.
In the end, the right choice became increasingly obvious the more I found out about Mtech Access, so I was delighted when Andrew offered me a place on the team.
What have you got involved with in your first few weeks at Mtech Access?
My first 2 weeks involved a mixture of initial dives into the technology stack used by the digital team, and various induction meetings.
The induction process at Mtech Access is very comprehensive, which definitely sets them apart in my experience. No matter what your role, you’re given an introduction to all areas of the business, led by key members of those teams. It was a great way to put names to several of the faces you see every day, and give you valuable insight into the bigger picture of the market access journey.
Following that, I’ve been involved in developing the reporting functionality for two of our apps, a cost calculator for a neurology treatment and a budget impact model for a respiratory product. Based on templates provided by our health economists and value communication experts, I’ve been building visually-appealing reports that dynamically display the data presented through the app. These reports are then sent via either Veeva Approved Email or as a PDF.
I’m currently commencing my first end-to-end app build, which I’m extremely excited about! I’ll be putting my introductory knowledge to the test as I go through the full process, from the first model supplied by our health economists right through to delivery of the first version of the finished app.
What have you learnt from your first interactions with the team?
It’s certainly not the easiest thing in the world, leaving an established long-term position and making the leap into the unknown. Luckily, I’ve been extremely fortunate to discover that the whole team here at Mtech Access are all very friendly, welcoming, and more than willing to answer questions and put a newcomer like me at ease!
It’s great to be part of a digital team that are always ready to help each other out and learn from each other. Everyone’s input is valued and considered, it’s a very inclusive environment. We’ve got some very smart people who are ready and willing to share knowledge and tips, and as such I’ve probably learned more in the last month than I have in the last year!
Mtech Access clearly places a lot of value in maintaining a good work-life balance and a people-first culture, which is fantastic. It’s important to get the work done, but it really feels like the company prioritises the resourcing to enable us to do that while also having time to enjoy life outside of the office.
Just some of the many reasons I know I’m now part of somewhere very special indeed.
To find out more about our digital capabilities and our approach to creating interactive presentation aids that resonate with your customers, email info@mtechaccess.co.uk.
If you are interested in joining our team at Mtech Access, please visit our careers page for details of our current vacancies.
