SheCanCode's Spilling The T

In today’s episode of Spilling the T, we’re joined by three aspiring women in engineering as we discuss how to successfully transition from education to the private sector.  Joining us from Bramble Energy are Sharon Oahimijie, Junior Project Manager; Aisling Elmer, Customer Solutions Manager; and Eliska Krizova, Product Systems Engineer.  We’ll be chatting about choosing the right degree; tips on...

A ‘Retrain Revolution’ is sweeping the UK with half of workers looking to skill up in 2023, as the cost-of-living rises. With almost half (49%) of the UK workforce saying they want to retrain or study for a new qualification during the cost-of-living crisis, Virgin Media O2 is creating around 350 apprenticeships in 2023. But could apprenticeships hold the key in getting more women in tech? To take...

While London remains the top destination for tech talent in the UK, there are so many exciting opportunities to be found in other areas of the UK. Manchester, Glasgow, Cambridge and Belfast are all becoming top destinations for tech employment opportunities, start-ups and communities.  With the tech industry crying out for tech talent, we’re delving into why organisations should be casting their n...

Working in cybersecurity is often viewed as a job centred around technical skills and long hours, which has played a large part in it becoming a male-dominated industry.  The reality of the matter is these technical skills can be taught on the job and softer, more human skills, such as being able to communicate effectively, are equally as important. To talk all things cyber and to help break down...

Staying ahead of the curve is necessary if you want to prosper and achieve in business - it not only enables you to survive in business but to thrive as well. But how do you stay ahead in the rapidly changing world of AI?  We sit down with Arianna Saracino, AI Engineering Manager, at Graphcore to hear all about her career journey so far, stepping up to become a manager and the importance of stayin...

72% of women in the tech industry believe their careers are still suffering due to childcare and family responsibilities, according to a survey of 100 female tech leaders by London Tech Week. Thankfully, bold businesses and individuals are starting to bring about change.  To be a successful working mother it takes passion, drive, and courage, but also the support of a good employer. In this episod...

You’ve made it – you’ve worked hard to achieve your spot in the tech industry, but what next? How can you advance and excel as a woman in tech? In today’s Spilling the T, we sit down with Ayshea Robertson, People and Culture Director, Zen Internet, to take a look at her career, standing out from the crowd and tips and tricks to excel in the tech industry. SheCanCode is a collaborative community of...

Company culture can have a big impact on employee job satisfaction. A good company culture starts from the top and trickles down, but an inclusive workplace that values and celebrates diversity starts during the hiring process.  To discuss the importance of building a positive workplace culture we’re joined by Linda Lee, Chief People and Culture Officer, at Velocity Global . Linda was most recentl...

Interested in a career as a Developer? You’ll want to tune in to this session as we delve into everything you need to know about the role, skills and tips on getting ahead. To help us explore this further, we’re joined by Ellora Praharaj, Director of Reliability Engineering, Stack Overflow Ellora is a technologist with over a decade of experience and tonnes of in-depth knowledge and expertise to s...

Seeing is believing!  Studies have shown that having role models within STEM is an incredibly effective way to encourage women into the sector; inspire them to be more ambitious; and show them what is possible. But with a lack of female representation in tech, where can women and girls find role models? And how do we encourage those already in the sector to share their stories? To discuss this and...

If you’re trying to get a job as a Software Engineer, or even if you simply love to code, you may have thought about creating a test automation portfolio. A portfolio can help show your testing and technical skills and demonstrate that you’re ahead of the pack. But where do you start? What do you include? To help us explore all things test automation portfolios is Beth Marshall, Senior Quality Eng...

When transitioning to a new career, it is expected that you might have a few gaps in your skills and knowledge. It’s important therefore to prepare yourself properly for your chosen career ahead, as you strive to differentiate yourself from the more experienced competition.  In this episode we discuss how to make the transition into the tech industry. To help us explore this, we’re joined by Tiger...

Many companies are now beginning to realise the value in hiring a more diverse workforce – which is a great positive move in the right direction. But what is the next step for organisations and what role does HR Tech play in it?  HR Tech is a general term that covers software and hardware technology covering a range of HR functions. This includes tools to help improve performance, streamline onboa...

Employee groups are a great way to support DE&I initiatives. They can be viewed as a safe space for employees to share their experiences and feel supported by peers and mentors. The Lego Group has a range of internal groups on offer for its workforce, including a Women’s Employee Advocacy Group that aims to support the company’s females by enabling them to flourish.  In this episode, we sit do...

There is a strong culture in the tech industry for expecting people to learn as hobbyist or in their own time. This disproportionately excludes women, who are still taking on the bulk of caregiving responsibilities. Nearly half of working-age women are providing an average of 45 hours of unpaid care every week, while 25% of men provide 17 hours, and UK women provide 23.2 billion hours of unpaid ch...

It's crucial to map out your career path since it enables you to understand where you are now and where you want to go. But how do you choose the best path for you when there are so many ways to go into technology and it's such a fast-paced/evolving field to work in? In this episode, Cecilia Nunn, Responsible AI/ML Technologist and Rachel Thuo, Junior Technologist at Digital Catapult , s...

As a sector, the tech industry offers something for everyone – technical and non-technical, experience within a tech company or not.  Today, we’re talking all things tech marketing and how to make the transition into the industry. To help us explore this, we’re joined by Jessica Jacobs, Global Director, Partnerships and Growth at Incubeta. With over 8 years’ experience in the marketing industry, J...

Simply put, FinTech is anything relating to finance and technology; or how technology delivers financial services or products. FinTech includes areas such as banking, insuring and investing and job roles can vary from business analysts to cybersecurity specialists. Today, Chirine BenZaied-Bourgerie, Head of Innovation at Finastra joins us to take a look into what a career in FinTech can look like,...

Data scientists turn raw data into something that is actually meaningful to businesses. They are in popular demand, but not everyone understands what they do and why their role is so important. So, why would young women consider a career in this area?   Ash Salim, Associate Data Scientist at Moonpig , shares her experiences so far as an early career data scientist, the challenges and opportunities...

TV shows and movies would have us think that cybersecurity is all hackers, criminal masterminds and the battle between them and the good guys. However, cybersecurity threats are just as likely to arise from more simpler scenarios – especially as the world has largely moved to remote working. With more and more employees working from home, working remotely or even becoming digital nomads, businesse...

You’ve established yourself in your role and you’ve set yourself career goals. So how do you go about achieving them? Well a sponsor could be the answer! A sponsor is someone, usually in the workplace, who believes in you and helps you climb the ranks. To talk us through sponsorship and it’s benefits, we sit down with Jessica Regan from BAE Systems. Despite being one of the youngest leaders in the...

Tech has a talent shortage – and the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid digitalisation, the Great Resignation and mass layoffs have only helped widen the skills gap! So in times of downturn and uncertainty, how can organisations retain their employees and make sure that they have the skills needed? To answer this, our guest today is Sarah Gilchriest, President at Circus Street. Sarah herself has had a very...

Having a diverse workforce has been proven to increase business revenue, promotes innovation, provides better role models and improves workplace culture – amongst many other things.  In this episode of Spilling The T, we take a look at the importance of having a diverse workforce, how the current tech landscape is impacting women, and what more can be done to create equality. To find out more, we...

We all recognise that there is a severe lack of female representation in STEM – currently, women only make up 24% of the STEM workforce.  But what if these women never even make it to employment in STEM? Women leave science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at much higher rates than men do. This so-called ‘leaky pipeline phenomenon’ suggests that more and more women are progre...

Your 30s are an important time in your life. People tend to settle down, get married, have kids, see promotions at work, and their salaries increase.  You might even decide that this is the time to change careers and try something new. This is exactly what Beca Parker, Mid-Level Developer at Redgate Software , decided to do.  In this episode, she sits down with us to share her career transition, c...