Leonie Phelps

Job:

Junior Software Engineer

Company:

Awaze

As a Junior Software Engineer at Awaze, my primary responsibility is to contribute to the backend development of a product that enables customers to make holiday bookings. My role involves collaborating closely with a team of software engineers to design, develop, and maintain the product’s technical infrastructure.

I am...

Creative

Problem solver

The skills I use most in my job...

Problem solving

Coding

Research

Communication

Decision making

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

I haven't had a very long career in tech, but feel very lucky to have worked on some really interesting projects already. For example setting up a few services from scratch, which doesn't happen very often, alongside people who really know what they are doing.

What inspired me into digital and tech...

I was drawn to working in tech due to a passion for technology and a fascination with how something so complex works. The opportunity to be creative and solve problems is very rewarding, and the constantly evolving nature of the field provides a sense of excitement and challenge. Additionally, working in tech can offer a genuinely enjoyable work life with a collaborative team environment and the chance to work on cool projects.

My educational background is...

After completing my A Levels, I decided to study Psychology at University. I loved all aspects of my degree including the more mathematical statistics side. After university I didn't feel ready to jump into a career so spent 2 years travelling Europe, which allowed me to really research in depth what sort of career I wanted to pursue. I have always been interested in tech and problem solving, so started some casual online coding courses. This lead me to Northcoders, where I completed their 13 week bootcamp to gain the skills needed to start a career in full stack software engineering.

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

I wish I considered it at a younger age because I never knew it was an option, so try things out and find what you love! It's never too late to develop your skills. Don't be afraid of taking your time and making mistakes, there is plenty of support and guidance out there.