My Journey into Tech

I got made redundant when I was on maternity leave. It was towards the end of 2020, about eight months into the pandemic, and frankly it was the last thing I needed. Or so I thought at the time.

I’d been working as a data manager at a secondary school, the latest pit stop in my career which had seen me graduate with a degree in journalism before going on to jobs in retail, insurance and HR. I never quite felt fulfilled in any of them – to be honest I only went to university because everyone around me seemed to be doing so – but that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful.

All those experiences have helped make me into who I am today, and they have made me appreciate my current role all the more. They’ve opened my eyes to the importance of finding a job you savour and are passionate about. And for me, that means cyber – and specifically my current role as a DevOps Engineering apprentice at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.

Wanted: job satisfaction 

Prior to BAE Systems I hadn’t worked in a technical role at all. But nonetheless, it was something I had long been interested in pursuing. I remember doing exams and my school being one of the first to offer a certificate in digital applications. And alongside a few others in my year, my work was selected by the exam board to be used as examples to be provided to other schools – so I’ve always known that this type of work was right up my street.

My husband, too, works in technology – he’s a front end developer – and being able to see what he was doing at work really intrigued me. But while I was always leaning towards a technology career, the thing that put me off starting afresh was worries about reverting back to the lower end of the salary scale. I also felt I was simply past being an apprentice.

Then, when I was made redundant, I realised that my income was already down to zero. I could continue looking for jobs where I wouldn’t be happy in or I could do an apprenticeship and focus on doing what I ultimately really wanted to do.

At the same time, BAE Systems was looking for DevOps Engineering apprentices – I read the job spec and I know this sounds cheesy but it just felt like it was meant to be; the timing was just spot on. All they asked for in return was an interest in technology, and English and Maths GCSEs. I immediately hit “apply”.

Digging into DevOps

I started work here a little over 18 months ago in February 2021. It’s one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life but it’s also proven to be the most rewarding thing.

I’ve been focusing primarily on DevOps. This was all new to me but the more I learned about it the more I realised it was exactly what I wanted to do and it would offer a well-rounded apprenticeship. DevOps combines the development and operational side of a system – from inception, to writing its code to testing and maintaining it. When I get asked about it by friends I use the analogy of a website. So you go online and there’s a feedback form – what happens after you press enter on that feedback? Where does it go and how does it get there? That’s an example of when DevOps comes into play.

Come join me 

Women like me who are at the age where they have mortgages to pay or children to raise and lots of commitments outside of work, might be put off signing up to an apprenticeship programme. But I would just urge them not to let their fears hold them back.

As clichéd as it sounds, the only person getting in the way of pursuing an amazing opportunity like the one BAE Systems offers, is yourself. Yes, it is scary to start from scratch. Yes, it is scary having a temporary pay cut – particularly right now. And yes, it is scary thinking about how to balance all your commitments. 

But that’s where BAE Systems Digital Intelligence comes in.

Not only is it a very flexible employer but I really like how the company champions women in tech and how much effort is put into persuading more women to enter the industry. I personally feel very valued here. Since I joined I’ve published content on our website and taken part in a video for National Apprenticeship Week – all of which is helping me progress and get on.

I’d love for more women from every walk of life to join me here – what are you waiting for?

 techUK is marching forward to close the tech gender gap in 2023. Throughout March, coinciding with International Women’s Day (IWD 2023) on 8 March, we are exploring how we embrace equitable workplaces. The UN’s theme for IWD 2023 focuses on Digital for All or DigitALL, and we are proud to support this.

For more information, please visit our Women in Tech hub.

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