Claire Folan

Job:

Business Analyst

Company:

Department for Education

I work with the team to make sure that everyone understands what everyone else is up to. This is important when we are all working on delivering the same thing (e.g. an online platform). I think about how processes will work from the beginning to the end, and what different user requirements for a service are.

I am...

Friendly

Intelligent

Confident

The skills I use most in my job...

Communication

Problem-solving

Defining user needs and requirements

Seeing the big picture and understanding the organisation as a whole

The most interesting thing I've worked on in my career so far...

When I worked in local government I worked on a project to develop an old building into a brand new museum and gallery. I was thinking about the sorts of IT that would be needed for the visitors and the staff. I'm still waiting for it to open but I will be visiting when it does!

What inspired me into digital and tech...

I worked in policy in local government and it was too slow for me! I wanted a challenge where I could be busy all the time and see things being developed that I had worked on.

My educational background is...

I went to university and got a job working for the council but I developed my business analyst skills on the job when I joined the transformation team at the council.

What advice I'd give to girls thinking about a career in digital and tech...

There are so many roles in digital and tech that you'll be able to find something you enjoy - and you don't need to choose just one thing either! Do some shadowing for a few days to find out more about the different roles.