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I am originally from Romania, and I moved to Manchester five years ago. It was the perfect place to enjoy undergraduate life, and now, it’s where I’m starting my adult life too. There’s always something happening, whether it’s a cool gig, art exhibition or food festival – Manchester is a melting pot of different cultures, and it’s easy to feel right at home.

What I love about the Manchester Office are the opportunities to collaborate with people face to face and team up with senior developers.

The graduate programme kicks off with a month-long bootcamp familiarising grads with the company’s technologies, tools and ways of working. Mentors and coaches from across Booking.com come together to teach us the ins and outs of being a Software Engineer.

Throughout the 15-month programme, we undergo two team rotations, providing exposure to various parts of the business.

Right now, I’m in my first rotation, part of the Cars vertical within Trips, where I’m working with the Web Framework team.

What I love about the programme is the opportunity to engage in activities beyond our daily responsibilities. I’ve participated in assessment centres, careers fairs, a Q&A panel and even created content for the Booking.com Instagram page.

Watch the bootcamp experience

Like any teenager, I struggled to figure out what I wanted to do. Being good at maths led me to a specialised programme during high school. Looking back, it’s kind of amusing – I was almost failing the class when I first started. Once I really put in the effort, I discovered how intriguing the subject was and started getting serious about pursuing a Computer Science degree.

University helped me to become skilled at switching between different contexts and taught me the importance of effective time and resource management. I was exposed to a vast amount of content, and when I transitioned to Booking.com, I had no trouble grasping new concepts.

Upon researching the predominant technologies used here, I discovered that JavaScript/Typescript and React were heavily favoured. So, I chose a final-year project that allowed me to work with technologies relevant to the future team’s needs.

I recommend embracing every opportunity. Whether it’s joining a conference, attending a panel discussion or tackling a challenging module at school, get involved! Don’t let stereotypes or imposter syndrome hold you back. There’s no one-size-fits-all path – carve out your own place in the tech world.

Booking.com is an ideal place for a graduate. You can grow, learn and contribute from day one, surrounded by supportive colleagues who genuinely want to see you succeed.