Harriet Taylor

The skills I use most in my job...

Java - programming language

Kotlin - programming language

Git - repo management

Communication - have to make sure I'm making the right thing!

Creativity - there's a ton of ways to solve the same solution

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

Each job I've had has enabled me to work on at least one interesting product. I've helped create internet of things apps used Zigbee and Bluetooth protocols but I've also made a heat sensitive art display case used in a museum by creating an electronic circuit using heat guns.

What inspired me into digital and tech...

I've been interested in making things since I was little, be that solving a math puzzle, making a dance or drawing a doodle. At school I was always very interested in maths and technology but outside of school I used to dance in all of my spare time. I ended up editing most of the dance school I attended's music for all of the shows using computer software and I used to spend hours working on it. From there I started learning more about different things I could do with a computer which tied into the skills I had acquired from school. I decided to study electronic engineering with digital media systems at university because it allowed me to learn about hardware, software, music tech and video editing in one course. I honestly think it was such a well rounded course thats given me some very good life skills and the ability to change my technology specialisation if I wanted to in the future. I'm currently an app developer because I'm really interested in Human Computer Interaction and I feel like mobile phone apps are a really good application of this at the current time. Who knows what lies in the future!

My educational background is...

I studied an integrated MEng in Electronic Engineering with Digital Media Systems at the University of York. Whilst studying I completed an internship at an art/tech company. After I graduated I decided I wanted to specialise in mobile app development and have been doing that since. The majority of which I have learnt on the job and in my own time.

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

I'd say if you haven't already considered it, definitely do and if you are you won't be disappointed! I've had such a great journey into tech so far and I feel like a lot of people associate these types of jobs with outdated stereotypes. Try and meet as many different people from the industries as possible and ask them what they do, why they decided to get involved and why they've stayed. The industry is a lot more diverse and outgoing than is portrayed a lot of the time! It's also such an interesting field to be in as everything is always changing so it never gets boring.

Job type tags:

Analysis Creative and design Development Problem-solving and developing solutions