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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…
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!):
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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