Meet Callum
Callum Hood, Software Engineer
Introducing…. Callum Hood, our Software Engineer.
Get to know Callum, his background, life at IRIS and what he enjoys getting up to in his spare time.
What do you do and how long have you worked at IRIS?
‘‘I’m a backend Software Engineer at IRIS, and I’ve been working here for 7 months.
I work on maintaining our backend software, fixing bugs and inputting new features into our Guest Experience Platform (GXP). I’ve also started to handle our internal helpdesk, Shield.’’
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
‘‘Any combination of my alarm, coffee, and breakfast.’’
What’s your background?
‘‘I graduated with a 1st in Computer Science from the University of Kent in 2020 – it was hard studying and doing my exams at home during the Pandemic and I’ve only just had my graduation two years later!
I have been working as a Software Engineer since September 2020 and I joined IRIS in December 2021.’’
What did you want to do when you were growing up?
‘‘A veterinarian as I love animals. Nothing like a Software Engineer! Though I’ve always used computers and when I had an opportunity to do IT at college, it went from there!’’
What is one of the most interesting tasks/projects you’ve worked on at IRIS?
‘‘I’ve carried out a lot of work on our integration with Transaction Services, which has been a great insight into how POS services work.
I do a lot of work on the integrations between our GXP and the main POS systems that the majority of our clients use. Different POS systems have different ways of working.’’
What is your favourite hobby?
‘‘I do a bit of writing and I’ve recently gotten back into 3D modelling/animation, which I originally got into back in Uni. I enjoy creating models and characters in the style of 3D films and then animating them online.
Besides that, music and gaming on my Nintendo Switch. ‘‘
If you could switch jobs with someone, who would it be?
‘‘Anybody on the support team, to get an understanding of the kind of problems that they help people with.’’
What is your guilty pleasure?
‘‘Pineapple pizza. It’s really nice- most people just haven’t tried it! Most people will love it once they tried it – it adds a lovely freshness to a pizza.
What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional?
‘‘In Year 7 (when I was about 11) I was invited to attend a mathematics masterclass in London. I was nominated by my school and I went every weekend for 6 weeks where I was introduced to advanced maths topics.’’
What’s the best thing about working at IRIS?
‘‘My colleagues make IRIS an enjoyable and unique company to work at.
It also offers a lot of flexibility – I enjoy hybrid working, some days in the office and some at home. ‘‘
My hotel heroes…
First hotel [you visited/stayed at] Pyramisa Blue Lagoon Resort, Egypt
Last hotel Travelodge, Reading
