Women in Tech

By Rosie Pickersgill, Academy Manager, BJSS

The BJSS Academy prides itself on giving opportunity to talented, pragmatic and enthusiastic individuals, with a flair for technology who just need the ‘right’ opportunity. We’re delighted to see the progress made by individuals and what better way to talk about it than to share our Good News Stories!

There's still work to do across the IT industry to address the gender imbalance. At BJSS we are committed to increasing our opportunities to those from under-represented groups too. Ever wondered what it's like as a woman joining a predominantly male-oriented career and how the Academy helps?

Sharon

The Academy was a great opportunity to broadly touch on many different areas in technology. It was an intensive four weeks of learning new concepts and technologies. Although I felt out of my depth most of the time, in hindsight, it was very helpful for me. As a career changer that did not come from a technical background, it helped give me a better understanding of what role I would like to work in, when assigned to a project.

Since finishing the Academy, I learned more than I ever did when I was placed on my first project. I have been very supported by my colleagues. For me, the best thing about BJSS is the variety of projects - you have the opportunity to work in different areas and with different technologies. The learning never stops, and you will be supported throughout.

Rachel

Getting a job at a company like BJSS and getting onto the BJSS Academy was one of my goals after graduating from a conversion degree. The Academy itself has made for a great introduction to the company, what it's all about, and getting you settled in the job role, without worrying about breaking things too much. The welcome from everyone has been fantastic, and the culture surrounding the job has been amazing as a new starter.

It's also been a great introduction to technologies and languages that I would have not looked at if not for the Academy, from finally learning JavaScript, to introducing Go and Python.

It has made going onto a client account feel less scary, as the intense process through the Academy prepares you really well for that jump from student to engineer, contributing to technology in many different areas that will be used by so many. The job itself has been really promising, and makes for an exciting future in tech, and I can't wait to see what that looks like!

Romy

The Academy was an amazing experience that helped prepare me for starting as an engineer at BJSS. We got experience working as a team, as well as learning the fundamental skills needed as a Software Engineer. The diverse team is super supportive and create a great environment to work in. A few months in, I still really enjoy going to work every single day!