We operate a year-long placement scheme in association with the UK's best universities for multimedia design. If your course participates in our placement scheme you may apply for our placements through your institution's placement office, but if not, you can still apply - see below for details. The next placement runs from June 2009 - June 2010, and the closing date for applications is 27th March 2009.
What we do
Assanka is a technology consultancy, dedicated to cutting edge web development for both consumer websites and corporate back-office software. From a standing start in 2003 and with no funding, Assanka can now count the Financial Times and News International amoungst its clients, owns one of the UK's most popular consumer search sites recently valued at £22m, and sponsors and leads the development of an open-source community development project. Now employing five full time staff, Assanka is one of the leading developers of Web 2.0 systems in the world.
Placement description
Working closely with our development team, you will design interfaces for Assanka's public website projects. Balancing three priorities: asthetics, usability, and functionality, you will help to create great software that everybody loves to use. Within the term of your placement, you are likely to see your designs in use in public websites that may attract hundreds of thousands of visitors per month, and you will normally be permitted to reference these in your personal portfolio.
At Assanka you will not blend into the background. Taking on a placement student represents a major investment for us and so you will be closely supervised and expected to work hard.
Desirable competencies
You will already have a high level of competence in Photoshop, and be comfortable producing designs incorporating complex layer effects, gradient fades, drop shadows, glass effects etc. You will also have a keen interest in increasing your technical knowledge and understanding of the ways in which form and function must co-operate in any successful Web 2.0 project. Idealy you will have a technical mind and a keen attention to detail, and be able to work within very narrow design constraints.
Key learning opportunities
Traditionally design and development (programming) have been very distinct disciplines. At Assanka our success is partly a result of understanding that design and development must collaborate more closely than ever before to enable websites that are beautiful, powerful and truly instinctive to use. You will be part of a highly technical team and will have the opportunity to learn how to transform your design skills into the most highly-paid design competency in the industry.
Further details
We are a very small company (5 people plus excitable Labrador at last count). Our office is in Shepherd's Bush (London, UK). You must be legally permitted to work in the UK for the entire duration of the placement. During the application process you will be asked to provide proof of this. There is no parking available, but our office is well served by two tube lines and numerous bus services. The salary for the placement is £14,000.
To fit in with our team you must be highly motivated, able to manage your own schedule effectively but proactively integrate with the rest of the team. The following list summarises the qualities that are required:
- Self-motivating
- Proactive in team participation
- Independent
- Very high standard of written English
- Co-operative and friendly attitude to co-workers, management and clients
- Excellent timekeeping (you will be required to file timesheets daily)
We operate an incentive scheme with rewards like chocolate, Mathmos lamps, iPods, digital cameras, five star weekend breaks, use of a supercar for a day, spy training, flying lessons, and many more for doing great work and staying on schedule.
Assanka is an equal opportunities employer. In recruiting staff we are concerned with nothing other than the ability of the person to do the job, subject to the qualities outlined above. If you are employed to work in our London office, you will be required to maintain an appropriate (but reasonably informal) dress code, should not be allegic to or fearful of our dog, and you should be aware that we try to avoid employing smokers. Our office is situated on the lower ground floor and offers no practical means of access for anyone who would have difficulty with a flight of stairs.
The next step
If you would like to be considered, please send your CV, covering letter and portfolio to jobs@assanka.net, or apply via your university's placement office.