Life at Z Energy

Recently, we asked some of the talented team at Z Energy to answer a bunch of frequently asked questions about what it's like to work there. Sound like a team you'd love to join? Yeah, we think so too!

Billie, Digital Experience Coordinator - Any tips for those applying to work at Z?

I think probably looking at our "Z Why" is a really good idea. It kind of encompasses everything about the company and about the organisation. So it covers things from our values to our supply chain. Also, I recommend just bringing your whole self to work.

Z employees are fun, friendly, energetic people who wanna work collaboratively, and want to be a part of a wider team to carry on things. 

Lana, Senior Business Analyst - How does Z support your career development?

It's a lot about leadership, not just leadership of others, but also leadership of yourself. You're encouraged to think about the goals you'd like to achieve in your core role, or if there's anything else in the business that interests you.

There are regular check-ins to make sure you're on track and also to celebrate what you've achieved so far.

Sopoilagi, Junior Test Analyst - What do you like about working at Z?

I love working with the people, engaging with the people. The second one, I love the culture at Z. We have such a really beautiful, amazing culture that’s evolved and involves everyone.

And the other thing that I love about Z is the Z values. We stand up, we speak up, we work side by side with each other. 

Harrison, Graduate Developer - How does Z embrace digital innovation?

So currently we are keeping up with the latest and greatest tech stacks and just keeping up to date with as many components as possible.

Elizabeth, Information Security Junior - How does it feel to be a junior at Z?

Honestly, it's really great. Everyone's really, really, really good at lending help when you need it. You get to work on some really great projects. They don't just stick their juniors in a corner and go here, babysit this thing. You do get to work on proper projects, but at the same time, you're not gonna be thrown into a deep end. I really, really like being where I am.

Sopoilagi, Junior Test Analyst - How would you describe your team?

Great question. How can I describe my team? My team, they're very supportive people. They will encourage you to do your piece and are a team that won't settle for good enough, a team that will go for more. They strive for better. They are hungry for improvements and support each other. 

Harrison, Graduate Developer - What type of support do interns have?

Interns have a load of support here at Z. It's not even just your team lead or the people sitting around you, but the entire company is here to help you grow and learn and understand what you're doing. So whether it's someone from people and culture, all the way down to the digi team everyone's here to help you.

Elizabeth, Information Security Junior - What tech stack does Z use?

That's a bit of a difficult question to answer because we use such a wide range of technologies for various parts of the business. Our digital team is largely a Microsoft shop, so we work a lot with Azure and other Microsoft products. But as I said, we will use different technologies depending on the use case. So there's something for everyone.

Lana, Senior Business Analyst - What’s your favourite thing about working at Z?

My favourite thing would be the people, my team, especially the BAs in digital, the future thinking and the free coffee (if I'm allowed to say that). But in all seriousness, there's a great group of like-minded people who all wanna see each other succeed. So it's just been a really good experience so far.

Roanne, Head of Digital Delivery - Any tips for those applying to work at Z?

I think it's really important when you apply work for Z, that you actually come really prepared with the idea that this is a chance for you to find out if your values match Z’s and Z’s values match what you are looking for in a company. It's really important when, especially if you're interviewing that you focus on what you want people to remember about you, and if you can really be clear on what it is that you would like to get out of any kind of role here at Z.

Lana, Senior Business Analyst - Describe your team?

The business analyst team is a bit of an interesting one.  We do get together regularly, but we actually don't work on the same parts of the business. It means that we can actually talk about what we're up to and figure out where that overlap is and start leveraging each other's strengths and try to learn more about the other parts of the business. It's a good social team too. We really like to get together.

Roanne, Head of Digital Delivery - What's next for Z's digital future?

Z's digital future really aligns with what Z as a company's going after. You know, we are in a business which we can see an end date. So one of the things we are really looking at is what's next for Z and what's next for everybody, especially the digital systems within that.

Our low carbon future initiatives are looking at electric vehicles and all kinds of things for us around what and where we want to be as a company over the next 20 to 30 years. So I'm really excited about that and making sure that our digital assets are ready for that is a really big part of my job.

Billie, Digital Experience Coordinator - What's the culture like at Z?

I think that Z has a really inclusive and friendly culture. I think that from day one starting at Z I felt like part of the family. I feel like the vibe in the office is very relaxed and you know, we work hard, get everything done, but you're still a team at the end of the day and we all look after each other.

Matt, Junior Scrum Master - How does Z support your career development?

I started Z in the cafe and I found that I wanted a job in IT. I wanted to work in IT. So I worked with the IT managers at the time and they helped me progress my development to finally get a job in IT. And from there it's led me into all sorts of roles within the IT space.

Harrison, Graduate Developer - What tech skills do I need to have?

Generally speaking, there's no required tech skills to work here at Z energy. We work with node.js and C sharp, but we are open to kind of work with any tech that is upcoming. If you bring it forth to us we are looking really to help you grow.

So if you don't know C sharp or node.JS, then that's fine. We can help you grow in those spaces.

Thank you to the Z Team for sharing their experience with us!

Find out more about Z Energy by checking out their profile on the Summer of Tech platform.