Liz Smart
Job:
Code Club, North West Coordinator
Company:
Raspberry Pi Foundation
I work with schools and the digital industry in the North West to help people work together and set up volunteer led Code Clubs for young people. My role is to help give people the confidence and resources to start then offer assistance every time they want to try something new.
I am...
Innovative
Approachable
Disorganised
The skills I use most in my job...
Influencing
Problem Solving and Communicating
The most interesting thing I've worked on in my career so far...
I loved being a Data Architect and a Service Manager but the most interesting experience I've had was when I worked on a project to design and implement a new Financial Services system. It was the 5th biggest IT project in Europe at the time and had to bring together high volume low complexity telematic data with high complexity low volume global marine data.
What inspired me into digital and tech...
For me it fitted with the things I enjoy most. I love problem solving and I love being creative. Working in tech allows you to do both of those things. You're continually learning and the challenges are so varied that it's always fresh and exciting.
My educational background is...
I did Computer Science at A Level but when I started work I chose a completely different path. It wasn't until years later when I was sitting some insurance exams with a BCS module about computing that I remembered how much I loved working with computers. After that I changed my job and sat my ITIL exams for Service Management.
What advice I'd give to girls thinking about a career in digital and tech...
A career in tech is so rewarding. There are many paths you can choose and there are lots of options to train or retrain along the way. I've held jobs I didn't even know existed until I saw them advertised. The best piece of advice I had was not to let a job profile put you off. Don't think you have to be an expert at everything on there as no one is. Just be honest and show you're willing to work hard. Otherwise it's likely someone else less qualified will get the job simply because they made the decision to apply.
