Who am I?
My tech journey started on a multimedia course at University, which included some coding and design modules. I thought that design was the path I wanted to take at the time, but in the first few sessions, I remember how quickly everything clicked into place for me. I fell in love with the buzz of figuring out a problem and solving it with code.
I got my first job as a developer and over time moved through positions of increasing responsibility. A decade into my career, I took on a leadership role, which I’ve been doing for the last seven years.
My background as a developer has presented me with a fantastic platform to help internal teams and clients with their projects. I quickly realised that I could get the same level of satisfaction from helping others as I found in solving my own problems.
After working closely with Jump24 as a client for many years, I joined the team as General Manager at the end of 2021. The first six months have been an amazing experience and I have loved getting stuck in and making an impact across the team.
Why I love what I do
Being part of such an active and exciting tech community that is constantly growing and moving forward makes my role much more fun. It’s also important to have a great work-life balance. I find that my motivation is much greater when I get this right and I want that for the whole Jump24 team, so that plays a role in our planning.
I’m really passionate about supporting young people and getting them interested in a career in tech, and Jump24 loves to do that too. That’s why we feel it’s important to take part in events that help us inspire the next generation, like BIMA Digital Day and the No Code Appathon we recently attended at Dudley College (read more about that day here).
A prerequisite of joining Jump24 is that you love Laravel, which is certainly true for me – although my coding skills are now a little rusty! It allows our developers to work with some great features, and also to engage with the wider community, learning all the time and feeling proud of the work they do. Being recognised as a Laravel Partner is something I’m incredibly proud of and that sets us apart from so many other teams.
WHAT NOW?
I’ve got so many ideas for how we can continue to bring the team forward and I’m relishing the opportunity of putting them into effect, in an environment where I can really make a difference.
We’ll be expanding our amazing team over the next few months and continuing to develop everyone’s skill sets, so we can carry on doing the best work for our clients. I’m really looking forward to supporting the team as they enhance their knowledge of sustainability and data security through accreditations such as Cyber Essentials to formalise the knowledge we already have in these areas.
We’re already putting some plans in place to continue our work in the community, organising and taking part in industry events, and inspiring the next generation to consider a career in technology. Keep a look out on our Twitter for event announcements and future tech meet-ups.
Overall, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for us for the rest of 2022 and beyond.