I originally came into tech from a pretty unconventional path – I was working as an actor and juggling survival jobs I wasn’t passionate about.
I wanted something more mentally stimulating, flexible, and remote-friendly, so I taught myself to code and trained at Northcoders.
After graduating, I joined Northcoders as a Mentor/Software Engineer, where I built internal tools while supporting students on their coding journeys. From there, I spent some time at their sister company, Tech Returners, helping experienced engineers refresh their skills and contributing to their internal software.
Curious to dive deeper, I upskilled into data engineering before eventually moving to Moonpig, where I now work as a Software Developer on the logistics team.
How did you land your current role? Was it planned?
I’d been debating a move into a full dev role for a while, and when my previous company went through some redundancies, I took that as a sign to start exploring new opportunities.
My cousin works at Moonpig and always has great things to say, so when a role opened up, I jumped at the chance. After a few rounds of interviews and technical assessments, I landed the position.
What are the key roles in your field of work, and why did you choose your current expertise?
In my field, there are lots of different roles depending on what part of the customer journey you’re focused on. My team looks after logistics – basically, everything that happens from the moment someone orders a parcel to when it lands at their door. That means configuring delivery services, setting up options, working out timings, and making sure customers have all the info they need upfront to choose what works best for them.
I went for this area because it felt like the perfect balance – a mix of backend and frontend, with tech I already knew and some new tools that would push me to grow. It’s the kind of role where you’re always learning while still making a real impact on the customer experience.
Did you (or do you) have a role model in tech or business in general?
I’d say Hedy Lamarr has been a big inspiration for me. She was an actress, but also an inventor whose work laid the foundations for the technology that Bluetooth is built on today. She never really got the recognition she deserved at the time, but I think her story is so inspiring – the way she managed to balance two completely different worlds and still make such a huge impact on tech.
What are you most proud of in your career, so far?
I’m most proud of how much I’ve been able to upskill throughout my career so far. Coming into tech from a completely different background, I’ve had to learn fast, adapt and push into new areas. It feels good to look back and see how far I’ve come, while still knowing there’s always more to learn.
What does an average work day look like for you?
A typical day usually starts around 9am, checking any updates or messages from when I was last online, and then we jump into standup to share progress. After that, most of my time goes into working on tickets – either continuing with something in progress or picking up a new feature to implement. We do a lot of pair programming, which keeps things collaborative.
Throughout the day there’ll usually be a few meetings, and sometimes sessions focused on knowledge sharing or learning new tools and practices. I also spend time opening and reviewing pull requests. I normally have an hours lunch, where I will cook, go for a walk/run, and stick a bunch of laundry on. I usually finish around 5:30pm. Every day’s format is a bit different.
Are there any specific skills or traits that you notice companies look for when you’re searching for roles in your field?
One thing I’ve really noticed is that soft skills are just as important as technical ones. Being able to communicate clearly with your team, explain your thinking, and pair program effectively makes a huge difference. As AI evolves, some of the need to be technically hands-on with every single detail is shifting, but what still stands out is having solid architectural knowledge to discuss different approaches – and the communication skills to bring everyone along with you.
Have you ever faced insecurities and anxieties during your career, and how did you overcome them?
All the time – I don’t think those insecurities ever fully disappear. Coming from a non-tech background, I’ve often dealt with imposter syndrome and moments where I’ve questioned my abilities. Over time, I’ve noticed that those feelings usually show up right before I hit a growth period in my skills.
What’s helped me is reframing it: growth only happens when something feels difficult at first. I also try to remind myself that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s not fair to compare myself too harshly to people who’ve been in the field for much longer. Getting comfortable with that mindset has made it easier to handle the doubts when they come up.
Entering the world of work can be daunting. Do you have any words of advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed?
Landing that first role is often the toughest part, and it can feel overwhelming. My biggest advice is don’t be afraid of the “no.” Every rejection is just one step closer to a “yes.” Each interview is an experience you can learn from, and in the meantime, keep building your skills and growing your knowledge. Most importantly, be kind to yourself – progress isn’t always linear.
