Jean Pittaway
Embedded Software Engineer at Tantalum Innovations
STEM subjects are obviously a very good grounding for this kind of technical role. However, the most important piece of advice is not to be put off by things that might look difficult in the first instance and to be flexible in mindset of what you expect your career to be. There are many brilliant opportunities in and around the science and engineering fields and it's absolutely OK to not know at the outset which of those is going to be right for you.
About Jean ...
Who am I?
"Developer is obvious. I am a software developer and I find that role very rewarding as it offers opportunities to make things work (or make them work better) and to be creative and inquisitive about new technologies and applying them to solve real problems, which sounds like my Investigator. I am a supportive and flexible team worker who is very proud of things that I have been involved in over the years."
What do I do?
"Software development as part of a team. We are responsible for coming up with practical solutions to meet our customers' needs. This ranges from capturing the data that the client wants and being able to deliver it to them. I make things work or make them work better than they did before and it is quite rewarding. I also get proud moments when I see products that I have been involved with the development of, in use in real word situations. There are opportunities for flexibility (e.g. working part-time) that make it a great career to have while raising a family or following other dreams."
How did I get here?
"I grew up on a livestock farm and I know how to milk cows! Girls that wanted to study STEM subjects were few and far between back then, but I am very glad I didn't let that stop me doing what I enjoy. A couple of the managers at the first company I worked for after I graduated, were very supportive and encouraged me to progress into software development. "
The life I live
"I have a home and family (with several pets) to take care of and I love being outdoors, dog-walking or gardening. I also enjoy volunteering, including organising local charity fund-raising events and helping out in schools with computer clubs etc."
My typical day
"Mostly computer based work on making, testing or documenting the software functionality we are delivering. I attend some meetings and give presentations to customers. There are frequent discussions within our team and with other teams in the company to be sure we are making the best choices. "
My qualifications
"Secondary education (GCSE/O-Levels) Post secondary education (College, A-levels, NVQ3 or equivalent) Undergraduate degree (BSc, BA, etc.) BSc Mathematics and Physics combined honours "