Twenty years ago last month I graduated from university and, if I’m honest, I’m not all that sure I was ready for this anniversary to happen. It has crept up on me and given me a bit of a fright. Being a student feels like yesterday, but the passage of years can’t be ignored. I struggle to understand how it could be that long ago, but I’ve checked the maths, and it was.

It means that my career is now twenty years old – and that's an even more difficult thing to get my head around. I've been reflecting on my career so far and trying to decide if anything has actually changed. I feel I still bring the same energy and attitude to work, and I still enjoy it. Are things really that different to when I started out?

Yet, I must admit that some things have changed a little. For a start, it takes me an alarmingly long time to get out of the beanbags in our breakout room these days, colleagues use slang words that I don’t understand (“sweetabix” isn't food), I only get invited to the pub quiz to help with “older” music, and people look at me blankly when I talk about events I thought were recent, only to realise they happened before they were born. There are times when I look around the office at my colleagues, many in their 20s, and I think “Am I old now!?”.

Time passes quickly. You don’t always notice it, but it does. It’s hard to believe there are two decades between me and my 21-year-old self who started his career in 2004, but only nine years between him and the age my son is now. It doesn’t seem right, but it is.

Maybe it’s because 20 sounds like a big number, but I’ve found myself getting philosophical about my journey from a graduate and how I’ve evolved into the person I am today. I’ve worked with a lot of people over the years, and they have all helped to influence and inspire me in different ways. I still regularly recall advice that I've been given in the past (good and bad) and use it in different ways to help with choices I need to make now.

We’re all shaped by the things that happen to us. Every meeting we go to, every interaction we have, every difficult discussion we’re involved in; they shape us a little more each time. We watch other people go about their job and we decide whether we'll emulate them or whether we'll do things our own way. We see good and bad behaviours every day, and we learn from that. This is the path you take as a graduate. We learn by living.

This is by no means unique to data careers. But I’m aware of it at Optima Connect, because graduate recruitment is such a big part of our culture. And we do it well. We recruit our new Data Engineers and Data Scientists not just based on academic achievement, or how well they can answer interview questions. We look for people who have intellect, acumen, the right attitude and crucially a knack for solving hard problems. Our unique Graduate Recruitment Programme is less “The Apprentice” and more “The Krypton Factor”. Our aim is to recruit the next generation of leaders in data.

But it goes further than just recruitment and onboarding. We put a massive emphasis on learning from each other. When you join Optima Connect as a new graduate, you’ll immediately start learning on the job. Everyone starts with the basic jobs (it's important to get your hands dirty from the beginning) but typically within a year our graduates will have acquired the skills and experience to take more of a lead role and pass on their experiences to others. Our people don’t remain “grads” for long, they quickly flourish into professionals – skilled, independent and trustworthy – ready to inspire the next graduate who joins. The cycle continues, and we all enjoy watching people gain confidence and make progress.

I’m very lucky to be part of this team. I'm fortunate to work with some very talented young people and it’s rewarding to imagine that two decades from now, many will have careers that have far surpassed my own. It’s humbling to think that I may have played a role, however small, in the development of that next generation. And that’s the journey we all take. From entering the workplace onwards we are always learning, always evolving, and always passing on our experiences to others – whether consciously or not. We take from those who came before us and pass it to those who come after us.

So let’s raise a glass to the graduates of today. And let’s also raise one to the graduates of tomorrow who’ll take their place one day. And maybe, if you’d be kind enough, you’ll raise a glass to this old graduate of yesterday on his anniversary. Twenty years and still going strong. Plenty life in me yet. I’m only just getting started really.