[SI Developer Story] 04. What to Expect on Your First Day at an SI Company

SI Developer Story
#3. What to do on the First Day of Joining an SI Company

Basically, SI companies primarily handle projects for other companies or operate already established sites, so there aren't many people at the headquarters.
Therefore, when you join, you'll either go straight to the client's site where the project is being carried out or start at the headquarters and wait for project assignment. There are these two possibilities.

If you start at the headquarters, especially in smaller SI companies, there might be the CEO who handles sales, an accountant, or a small number of people working remotely on operational tasks or waiting for the next project. During this period, you won't have much to do, so bring your personal laptop and study to pass the time. Don't feel self-conscious about not having work. Anyway, once you're on a project, you'll be busy, so just think of it as getting paid to study and utilize the time for learning.

If you start at the client's site, you usually prepare your laptop in advance. After greeting the project team members and the client's contact person, the first day usually involves setting up your laptop. You'll install essential development tools like Eclipse, DB tools, Chrome, FileZilla, and apply for the client's IP address and complete security agreements, which will quickly fill up your day. After that, you'll spend a certain period understanding the work done up to that point and then join the project. If you encounter any difficulties, you should ask your mentor or other team members for help. However, other team members will usually be very busy. So, instead of asking questions immediately, organize your queries and ask them all at once when they seem less occupied. This approach will be better received by other team members and even your PM will appreciate your organized approach.

When you're at the headquarters and there's nothing much to do, feel free to leave on time. Don't hesitate to leave promptly.
Once you're actually on a project, especially towards the end, there's a high chance you'll experience endless overtime. There's a saying that you should enjoy the good times while they last. Make the most of your time and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to survive in the SI world.