Kirsten Peters Roebuck

Job:

Learning Partner

Company:

Auto Trader

As a Learning Partner at Auto Trader, I work with a brilliant team to design, develop and deliver a range of learning opportunities to support our colleagues' personal and professional development. From creating new programmes to facilitating sessions to one-to-one coaching, we help people thrive at work.

I am...

Empathetic

Curious

Determined

The skills I use most in my job...

Facilitation

Coaching

Designing learning opportunities

Managing stakeholder relationships

Collaboration

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

I've had a squiggly career, having spent almost a decade as a producer in the creative industries before moving into tech. One thing that helped bridge that gap - and that I've found incredibly interesting - is becoming a Coach. It's such an inspiring part of my work!

What inspired me into digital and tech...

Tech is such an exciting, dynamic industry that is shaping the world for us all. I knew I wanted to be part of that and I wanted to play to my strengths while doing it. For me that meant focussing on helping people to thrive within this sector.

My educational background is...

I studied Business, French, Theatre and History at GCSE alongside English/Science/Maths. From there I took English, French, Theatre & History at A Level, before going to the University of Birmingham where I gained a First Class Honours in French and Drama & Theatre Arts (Joint Honours). I lived and studied in France for a year where I took classes in business, sociology, psychology, literature and more. Outside of my university studies I also trained in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), and did an exchange with the Warsaw School of Economics. As my interest in tech grew, I took a few short coding courses and did a Professional Diploma in UX Design, as well as completing my Coaching Accreditation. By following my curiosity and being proactive every step of the way, I've been able to harness my passions to shape my career.

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

Follow that curiosity! There are roles to suit everyone in this industry. Spend some time thinking about what inspires you, what you're doing when you feel the most engaged, how you want to spend your days, and that will help you decide which path within tech might be for you.