Natalie's Journey from Marketing to Software Engineering

Natalie Martin worked in Marketing until April last year, when her curiosity in coding and problem-solving, and love of learning, led her to explore a new career in Software Engineering.

When Natalie stumbled across the 16-week Thales-sponsored Code First Girls Degree, it gave her the opportunity to pursue her career in Engineering.

 

My love of learning motivated my career switch from Marketing to Software Engineering

 

I have always sought out opportunities to learn something new - from picking up bass guitar to fill a gap in my band to enrolling in an English Masters “just for fun”! A couple of years ago, I was working in marketing with a talented team of engineers who were patient enough to indulge my curiosity. I had always worked closely with developers to build websites or new applications for customers, and had cultivated an interest in software engineering and the problems it could solve.

That team made it seem possible for me to learn something that had previously felt intimidating and off-limits. It was through their encouragement that I started enrolling in some online coding courses and eventually stumbled across some free courses offered by Code First Girls…

 

"Thales and Code First Girls made access to free education possible, enabling me to change my career and achieve my goals"

 

In April 2023, I received the call to say I had secured a Thales-sponsored place on the CFGdegree – a free 16 week course created to help women pursue a career in technology. It’s probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever done - working full days in my marketing role and then coming home every evening to classes covering completely new concepts like hash tables and time-space complexity. And I thought I had said goodbye to nerve-racking exams after university!

Yet it also felt wonderful to feel challenged and know I was taking steps to better myself and achieve my career goals. I’ll never forget receiving the email to say I had passed with a distinction (and secured my Software Engineer role at Thales) while watching the lions at Lisbon Zoo!

One of the reasons I decided to pursue software engineering was to switch to a career where learning was an integral part of the job. Since joining Thales I haven’t been disappointed in my expectation – my current role requires knowledge of C++ which is a programming language I haven’t used before. My manager and wider team have supported my learning by providing time and resources (Pluralsight), as well as the psychological safety to ask questions - I’ve not yet encountered anyone who isn’t happy to answer them!

 

Tips for Lifelong Learning

Here are a few tips that helped me while completing the CFGdegree (and beyond!):

• Keep a learning log - Document what you’ve learnt that day and any questions you still have – it’ll solidify your learning and give you a confidence boost when you see how far you’ve come!
• Work out which learning style works best for you – Physical, visual, auditory or verbal? Watching videos, doing my own coding exercises and hand-writing notes works for me.
• Set milestones and reward yourself – Set yourself a goal to complete a module or lesson in (x) amount of time and reward yourself once you have achieved it.
• Stick to one topic at a time - This took me a long time to accept but at first I tried to learn multiple programming languages at once. It was only when I honed in on one language that I started to see faster results.  
• Ask questions and check your understanding - Asking questions and relaying your understanding to others will help you engage with what you’ve learnt and reframe it in a way that makes sense to you.  
• Be curious and enjoy the journey – I’ve always wanted to try archery and have finally booked lessons this summer. I know it will take me a while to improve my aim but the main thing is I’ve picked up the bow and I’m giving it a try.

There is a quote which I have kept in mind throughout this entire process – “All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone”

Switching careers and learning a completely new discipline has often felt overwhelming but feeling uncomfortable means I’ve made the right decision because I’m challenging myself and growing. So if you’re feeling comfortable this is your sign that it might be time to learn something new.

 

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