Jayne Spalding, product owner at Liberty IT, on why you don’t necessarily need to be a developer to thrive in a tech career.
“In the past, being more mature and being female may have been a little bit of a hindrance in moving forward with your career,” says Jayne Spalding.
“But here at Liberty IT, it is so not the case. I’ve been in three different teams within one year, so the skills and the exposure I had to different parts of the company have been amazing and there’s so much support … If you need help there is always someone to go to and that’s been made clear from the get-go.”
Within her first month of joining the company, Spalding had a meeting with her manager to discuss her personal career progression goals. She was asked whether she would like to think about promotions and next steps, which really appealed to her ambitious nature.
“Liberty IT has helped me in my career progression in many ways. The opportunities I’ve had since I joined the company have been absolutely massive.
“I feel very fortunate that I’ve been valued for the skills and the perspectives and the experience that I’ve got and they’ve really embraced everything that I’ve brought to the party,” she says.
She has progressed quickly and these days, she leads a team in product ownership. Her day to day involves meetings and is “incredibly varied”. She says that dealing with change is one of the biggest challenges she and her team must contend with. Things are constantly evolving in the tech world.
“Change is a constant, so dealing with that and making sure your team are comfortable with the changes that are coming is a real key skill, making sure they are informed, making sure they are okay and understand what’s coming and then know how to deal with it.”
Spalding is adamant that you don’t have to be a developer to be a key member of a tech company’s staff. She thinks that there is a fear factor, particularly for women, around working in tech.
“If somebody is looking to progress their career in tech, I would say grab the opportunities when they come. Don’t be afraid, don’t feel ‘Oh, I don’t understand that piece of technology, therefore I ought not to go for it.’”
“Technology has often been a fear area for a lot of women and I’d say, do not be afraid, because there are so many areas that you can work in within the technology sector.”
She cites herself as an example. “I’m not a developer, and yet here I am working in a technology company and there are opportunities for me here. So, don’t be afraid, say yes, and take the chances when they come.”
Find out how emerging tech trends are transforming tomorrow with our new podcast, Future Human: The Series. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
