Case study - Talkative

Communications software company Talkative hosted student Joel Valentine on a summer placement.

When Newport-based company Talkative were looking for a software development intern to join their company in summer 2016, they approached the National Software Academy.

After interviewing three students, Talkative directors chose Joel Valentine, a then-first year BSc Applied Software Engineering undergraduate.

Joel's experience at the NSA enabled him to contribute to Talkative's codebase from his very first day, building production features to meet real customer requirements. He also got involved in other areas of the company, assisting with Talkative’s customer-facing website and discussing development design and direction.

Joel's main contribution to Talkative is a new feature called 'Engagement Rules', allowing companies to choose how and when they offer the Talkative communication service to their customers. Joel helped to define the requirements, created the feature using Talkative's front-end framework of choice (Vue.JS), and delivered a fully functional product.

Talkative continue to employ Joel part-time while he continues his studies at the NSA.

The NSA’s focus on industry is evident. They listen to what skills are needed in the industry today. They provide talented, work-ready graduates. They even put theory into practice by collaborating on real-world industry projects. It is hard to find talented developers who can fit in with the team, but Joel has been a real asset. He’s exceeded our expectations.