Two people can land in the same engineering team and still have totally different origin stories, and that’s exactly why this conversation matters.
Holly Lampert and Emma Harrison from Dunelm unpack what tech careers really look like when one person comes through a computer science degree and the other makes a career change from a humanities background.
This episode gets honest about the moments that knock people out of the pipeline: imposter syndrome at university, feeling behind because others started coding at 10, and the quiet fear of asking “basic” questions in a room full of acronyms. Holly shares how discovering web development brought creativity back into coding and helped her rebuild confidence. Emma talks about the power of representation, the spark of making something small work for the first time, and why an English degree can sharpen skills that matter in software engineering, from pattern spotting to clear documentation.
This episode also digs into what makes teams better: buddy systems, pairing, strong documentation, quick calls when things get messy, and psychological safety that turns confusion into learning instead of shame. If you’re exploring a tech career change, weighing a bootcamp, studying computer science, or trying to break into software engineering or front-end development, you’ll leave with practical ways to stop comparing, start experimenting, and use your existing skills as an advantage.
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