Lesego Kgoali-Cardaso – Software Engineer

What did you study and where?

I studied BEng Software Engineering at Napier University.

How long have you worked at Calnex and what attracted you to join?

I joined Calnex as a graduate software engineer three years ago. I was attracted by the fact that it is a local company that makes highly specialised test and measurement equipment. I wanted to apply what I had learned at university, but I was also drawn to the idea of developing deep knowledge in an area I hadn’t studied: timing and synchronisation. Three years on, that’s exactly what has happened. I’ve become a good engineer with a working understanding of a specialist field that I wouldn’t have encountered anywhere else.

What motivates or energises you about your role and working life at Calnex?

It might sound simple, but the culture at Calnex is a big part of it. It’s a genuinely great place to work, and the atmosphere makes you actually want to come in. On top of that, the work itself is motivating because the products are real and useful so it’s satisfying knowing you’ve helped shape something that actually gets used.

Talk us through a typical day at Calnex?

My typical day usually involves either building out a new feature or working through a bug fix. I check my emails, then get into the code. We have a daily standup to keep the team aligned and surface any blockers early. Beyond the stand-up, regular collaboration is an essential part of how we work on my current project. This often involves coordinating on shared components, discussing design approaches, and supporting one another with debugging to ensure progress and consistency across the team.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most is solving tricky problems. Because of the scale and complexity, the challenges feel genuinely interesting rather than repetitive. I also like having the chance to own a feature end to end. Thinking through how it should work and then building it. It’s really satisfying to create something and know you’ve shaped it from the start.

Most challenging aspects of your job?

The domain itself is the biggest challenge. The learning curve doesn’t really level off because timing and synchronisation in networks is complex. There’s always more to learn, whether it’s new protocols, terminology, or interactions between systems. At the same time, that’s what keeps the work engaging. It means the job doesn’t become routine, and you’re constantly building your understanding as you go.

What skills do you need to succeed in the role?

Beyond the core technical skills, I’d say curiosity, persistence and attention to detail matter most. You need to be comfortable asking questions, as a lot of the knowledge sits with the people around you. When you run into a problem that isn’t straightforward, it’s important to be able to stick with it and work through it. When working with something that is complex and precise, the small details matter.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do the same role?

Don’t worry too much about domain knowledge because most of it will come with time. What really matters is having solid fundamentals and knowing how to write good software. When I started, I didn’t have deep knowledge of timing and synchronisation, but I could work through problems and that’s what mattered most. The people around you are knowledgeable and friendly, and they’re always happy to help and explain things, so you’re not expected to figure everything out on your own.

What do you do for downtime?

My downtime tends to vary. I enjoy learning new things just for the sake of it. It doesn’t have to be anything serious, it just has to be something that catches my interest. It usually starts with something I’ve read or watched, and then I end up wanting to try it myself. At the moment, that’s led me to learning how to sing.