Tell us a fun fact about yourself
Every year I go to a massive rock festival called Download at Donnington. Where a group of friends and I enjoy listening to around 30 rock bands live over the space of 3 days.
Tell us about your career journey so far
I studied BA Media Theory and Production at the then University of Paisley 20 years ago. Due to my customer service history my career developed there, I became the manager of a High St shoe store. When I became pregnant, I left full time employment to become a full time mum. When my son was old enough that I wanted to consider going back to work full time the jobs available to me were not what I wanted as a career. I decided to fulfil a long time aspiration and go back to University and study MSc in Information Technology. I have always loved technology and always wanted to further my education in that area. it felt daunting going back to university in my 40’s but I am so grateful that I did, to have the opportunity to restart my career at this age has significantly changed my life. I now am probably one of the oldest early career graduates at DXC technology but have never felt that my age has been noticed and I am really enjoying working in an industry I have always wanted to be part of.
What was your favourite subject in school and why?
Maths. I have always loved puzzles and maths is like one giant puzzle.
What subjects/qualifications are useful in your role?
Mathematics
Computer Science
English
What is your favourite thing about your job?
Working with loads of different people, learning knew skills, being involved in projects that I wouldn’t have expected to be involved in, for example; video editing, which was a skill I picked up doing my degree and never thought I would use in my career.
What is a normal day in your role like?
I work from home. I log into my work laptop and check emails and Window’s Teams to check any notifications. I am currently in training with DXC so I log into their own DXC University and I can choose from a myriad of subjects to learn. Right now, I am learning Java and working on becoming a software tester. I also collaborate with fellow graduates in projects ranging from making internal information videos to starting a new mentoring project.
Suggest an activity that could be done at home that illustrates an aspect of your work?
https://www.w3schools.com/ is a great introduction to many web development coding programs.
http://ultimatetictactoe.creativitygames.net/ Is a great game that helps you improve your forward thinking. You cannot just make a move as your move has a direct influence on the opponent’s move. A move can win or break the game. You get better at recognising patterns, come up with a strategy and clear traps one by one.