“Identify your skills early and build them up, use them to support the skills you have that need more work.”

How did you find your way into tech?

I took my first computing course in high school and enjoyed every moment of it. We unfortunately didn’t have a teacher to take the course further, so it was set aside. After leaving high school I tried joining the RAF to become a pilot, but my spatial awareness was nowhere near good enough to fly. I was also only 18 at the time and definitely notready for that sort of life.

At this point I was at a bit of a loss with what to do with myself and a local college sent out prospectuses to encourage people to attend. I flipped through and saw they offered computing, so I applied. It was a subject I had previously enjoyed and felt I could do well in. I remembered it being challenging, interesting and a subject I could take in my stride. I got the grades I needed from college and made it into university. Since then, my interest and passion has grown, and I know for sure this is exactly what I’m meant to be doing.

Tell us a little about your course

My degree is Computing Science. It is very varied which means there is always engaging material. I’ve covered a range of topics from games development, mobile app development, databases, networks, and programming. We’ve had the opportunity to try different languages such as Java, Python, Kotlin, and C. In the early years you also get the chance to do modules not related to your degree, so I chose criminal law and accounting. It’s great to be able to develop yourself in your own unique way and build skills you wouldn’t necessarily think you would.

The material is a good mix of code-based assessment and written assessment, giving practice for the dissertation year. The written ones are usually quite open –ended, giving a chance to do additional research and apply it to the context of the code project.

There are lots of opportunities for women on the degree, such as encouragement to participate in the Lovelace Colloquium, seminars and other events designed specifically for women. It’s been so encouraging finding and getting to know other women in STEM through these events and not feeling like you’re one of very few!

What advice would you offer?

My advice is to use your strengths to your advantage. Personally, I’m not the best at maths but I have plenty of patience to do loads of examples to gain the understanding I require. The skills you currently have are always transferable, even if it’s not obvious at first. Identify your skills early and build them up, use them to support the skills you have that need more work. Don’t let anything or anyone tell you that you can’t do it and you don’t belong in tech. I’ve struggled the last couple years with self-doubt from Imposter Syndrome and only recently have I got it under control. I think it affects all of us in tech to a certain degree, but you cannot let it affect what you’re doing. Take it in your stride and use it to motivate and encourage you, don’t let it take control and sink your passion.

What interests you about tech?

My dissertation project has been based on the Travelling Salesperson Problem and the Knapsack Problem, which I’ve developed a real interest in. I’ve been developing the project with a haulage company, so it’s been exciting to develop a real, tangible project for an actual client. It’s been very interesting researching the problems and exploring how these problems don’t just apply to routing and loading in a haulage sense, but the TSP applied to things like DNA mapping, aiming telescopes at the stars and scheduling jobs. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of using everything I’ve learned the last 3 and a half years and combining it into a project that is my own. It’s been important to manage my own time and balance the rest of the modules that need to be completed too, while maintaining my own high standards of work.

”…what I love about tech is the breadth of topics it covers and especially how it interacts with and drives our day-to-day lives”

How did you find your way into tech?

Career-wise, I was always in retail and admin jobs. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, and I never saw myself as career-oriented. I had studied a degree in Biology straight out of high school, but I wasn’t thinking about long term goals or feeling very driven.

When I was made redundant in 2019, I came across a vacancy for an entry-level database assistant role. The job description piqued my interested and I realised that I had a lot of relevant experience. I’ve always been drawn to natural sciences and quick to pick up new systems, but I had never taken any computing classes and knew nothing about coding.

Getting into any kind of tech role or retraining hadn’t occurred to me as an option. I was lucky enough to get the job and it really sparked something in me!

Tell us a little about your course

I’m in the second year of my Graduate Apprenticeship in Data Science. It’s been quite a whirlwind so far, learning so much while juggling work, study, and home life.

The idea of studying a degree was daunting at first as I was unsure whether it was the right direction for me. I was worried I would struggle with the topics and would make a terrible student! I knew it would be hard work, but it’s been incredibly rewarding so far. Being able to see the real-life applications of what I’m learning keeps me engaged and gives me direction.

The course has helped me gain confidence in my own abilities and my newfound career path, and I recently took on a promoted role at work. I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible in the next two years, and I’m already excited to graduate and explore the world of opportunities out there.

What advice would you offer?

Just go for it! There are so many options out there for getting started, and many different courses to take. It’s a great time to get involved in the sector as things are constantly changing. There are professions now that didn’t even exist five years ago! I’d also say online resources like short courses are especially valuable for building on learning, no matter your confidence and skill level.

What interests you about tech?

Part of what I love about tech is the breadth of topics it covers and especially how it interacts with and drives our day-to-day lives. An area that I’ve enjoyed learning about through my classes is the intersection of technology and society. I’m interested in the growth of AI voice assistants in homes, the use of facial recognition tech, and similar developments. It’s interesting to see the influence technology has on individuals and society as a whole, and the implicit biases and unintended uses (both positive and negative!) that come about. I think it’s really important to be aware of the ethical responsibilities programmers have.

“I think the beauty of Data Science is there is no limit on what you can do, and you can explore any interest using Data Science.”

How did you find your way into tech?

My journey in becoming interested in tech is not one I expected. I currently work as a Management Information and Workflow Analyst within the financial services, a sector I have worked in for almost 9 years. I started off at the age of 19 as a Customer Service Agent. To allow me to be as efficient as possible, I gradually taught myself Excel at an advanced level to allow me to build workbooks, so I could do my job easier and quicker. This has been vital in my career progression and really helped me stand out in the crowd.

I have also always been very inquisitive when it comes to understanding how things work, so straight away I started looking into how different sources of information spoke to different applications. This became a bit of a hobby for me. In my current employment, I was involved in integrating an API to support the sourcing and assessing of customer information and the exposure to this ignited more need to understand how it all worked.

I began looking into courses I could do in my spare time starting with some programming languages. This never felt like work to me and was, and still is, something I really enjoy. I thought this would always just be something I did in my spare time to enhance my skills for work but to my delight, through Skills Development Scotland, I have been able to study at degree level whilst integrating this into my current job.

Tell us a little about your course

I am doing a Data Science course at Stirling University. This involves me working four days a week and having one day of online university. The course so far has already taught me so much, including things I never expected to be thinking about during a Data Science course. When completing an assignment covering Social and Professional Issues there were areas of accessibility I had never considered. I found this very thought provoking, to the point I have adjusted the presentations I deliver in my full-time job.

The programming side of the course is something I really enjoy. I am still at the stage where my code rarely works first time, but all the fun is understanding why this isn’t working and challenging yourself to keep going until it does. There is always help at hand and everyone involved is so passionate about Data Science that you always learn something new every conversation you have whilst feeling inspired.

What interests you about tech?

When I originally started my course all my interests and ambitions were in understanding APIs within the Fin Tech arena. I used to think about data and think about businesses and finance. In a short period of time I have heard about some amazing social studies, including studies around depression and around supporting the elderly to keep as much independence as possible, using data and programming. I find these studies inspirational and it makes me proud that the course I am studying could lead me to being involved in creating something that helps improve quality of life for people who need it and really make a difference.

What advice would you offer?

When I left high school, I went to university to study Chemical Engineering because I always did well in maths, physics, and chemistry. After my first year I dropped out as I didn’t feel as if the course suited me and didn’t enjoy what I was learning. I was never really into computers or coding, so if you were to tell 18-year-old me I would be working in the area I work now whilst studying Data Science, I probably would have laughed then had a moment of fear. If I knew what I know now, I would have got into Computing and Data Science as early as I possibly could have.

I think the beauty of Data Science is there is no limit on what you can do, and you can explore any interest using Data Science. The content and assignments really speak to my love of problem solving. The course itself is so well structured that you don’t have to be code savvy to be successful and the four years is about building your knowledge constantly in harmony so that you never stop using something you’ve learned in the different semesters.

“While understanding the fundamentals can help, it is absolutely not a hard requirement to have a successful and rewarding career in tech.”

How did you find your way into tech?

I’ve always been fascinated by science and knew from a very young age I would want to go into a STEM career. Science and maths were always at the forefront of my studies, and from the age of 15 I was working for my dad’s business as a database administrator. I found it boring at the time, but looking back it really helped me get to where I am today.

It wasn’t until I was in the 3rd year of my undergrad degree that I really found a passion for data and data science – going through a module on using RStudio and its scripting language to do my analytics work sparked such a keen interest that I was genuinely sad when the class came to an end!

This then led me towards my MSc qualification, where I specialized in data science, and then into my first full-time job as a Junior Data Analyst within the games industry. I now work as a Business Analyst in the social housing sector, and I still have the keen passion for RStudio that I had back in 2015!

Tell us a little about your course

I initially completed my BSc (Hons) in Animal Biology in 2016 at Stirling University. My original plan of going into Veterinary Medicine had fallen by the wayside, so I ended up taking a year out and working while I decided my next steps. Upon reflection, I decided I really enjoyed working in data science, and so I completed my MSc in Information Science with a specialty in Data Science at Northumbria University in 2018.

Since then, I’ve gone on to complete various other courses through work and in my spare time including learning Python, Power BI, and Advanced Data Visualisation. Now within my current job in the social housing sector, I am working towards a Level 4 HNC in Housing, which I hope to achieve by the end of 2022.

What interests you about tech?

In my work life, some of my particular tech interests include Automation Processes, Data Visualisation, and Predictive Analysis. Basically, the more efficient I can make something, the happier I am! Outside of work, I am a keen gamer and have been ever since the Gameboy Colour was the console to have. I even took the plunge and built my own PC during the first lockdown, which was a challenging but really fun experience!

What advice would you offer?

I think the biggest misconception when it comes to data science, and tech in general, is that you have to be a maths genius to be able to do it. Fun fact: I was so bad at maths as a kid that I had a tutor for 10 years! While understanding the fundamentals to a range of mathematical principles can help, it is absolutely not a hard requirement to have a successful and rewarding career in tech.

There are also so many transferrable skills that you don’t need to commit yourself to science and technology courses for your education. This can include skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking, and attention to detail. Having good communication skills is also highly beneficial, as you will often be collaborating with a range of people across multiple teams and disciplines.