Megan Arnold

"According to the quiz, my personality types are Coach, Quality Controller & Trainer. I think these fit quite well with me as I like things to be done well and properly but I find the greatest reward in helping others acheive their goals too. This fits well with my work as I like to ensure the quality of my own code but am also a team-player and like to help others where I can."

"I work with a large team to help develop models/simulations of our microprocessors in order to support other teams' software development. As an apprentice, I started my job at 18 and study for my degree alongside working - the company pay for my tuition fees too! As a result, I have been able to learn from some of the best engineers in the industry and really get hands-on with the software, which is definitely my favourite part! I love being able to get stuck in with the tasks and learn on the job rather than just from a text book as well as being able to work with a range of amazing people. I earn £19k a year plus some annual bonuses and as the company pays for my tuition, I have no student debt. "

"I have always enjoyed the STEM subjects in school and much prefer solving algebraic functions to writing essays. I took Computer Science and ICT GCSEs and continued to develop my programming during my IB studies (equivalent to A-levels) and then went on to apply for this job as an apprentice software engineer after I finished school.I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by many strong female role-models while I was at school and they have all played a role in inspiring me to pursue my interests, even when it isn't easy."

"Generally, I spend most of my free time either reading or watching TV - very boring I know! I also volunteer with my local Girlguiding groups and love getting to go camping and roasting marshmallows over a campfire! "

"I spend most of my work day writing, fixing or learning new code in order to help our team maintain our software. Sometimes this means I spend some time learning details about how a specific programming language works or asking different people to explain how our code works so I'm always able to learn more each day. If I'm not coding, then I'm usually finding ways to get involved with volunteering opportunities in the company to help other young women see the vast number of paths they have at their disposal. "

"In Sixth Form I earned my IB Diploma (equivalent to A-levels) by studying Geography, Spanish and English Literature at standard level and Maths, Physics and Computer Science at higher level. I am currently studying for my BSc Computer Science degree and shall complete it in Summer 2021. I also have a number of volunteering experiences on my CV to help show non-academic skills/qualifications."