Developer Stories: Meet Courtney, associate software developer & GirlCode ambassador

Hi Courtney! 👋 Thanks for joining us. Want to kick us off by introducing yourself and a bit about your background and how you got into software development?

Hey, thank you for having me! I’m Courtney, an Associate Software Developer, Girl

Code Ambassador and Digital Media Graduate.

I stumbled across coding as part of my degree and it kick-started my passion for developing and designing websites. I completed 2 internships during my time at university one at a local web design agency and the other at Sky as well as a Code First Girls Intro to Web course which inspired me to pursue a role in tech.

I joined Sky after I finished university in 2020 on their software engineering graduate scheme and now work in the Sky Sports Web team.

How is your week going? Can you tell us a little bit more about what you’re working on at the minute?

My week is going well thanks. I have recently been working on the F1 season rollover for skysports.

com and our German website DE. I have also been developing my understanding and working on the consent management platform (CMP) which is the legal consents from users to process their personal data typically through cookies/trackers on the domain.

This has been both challenging and interesting to work on with my squad.

How did you get your first role in software development? Just like any role, it can be disheartening and difficult for people to get their first step on the career ladder.

I landed my first role in software development through the Sky software engineering graduate scheme in september 2020. Prior to this, I completed a Sky summer internship in summer of 2019 for 4 weeks as a junior developer where I had my first experience of working in a tech team and learnt lots during this time. Afterwards, I applied for the graduate scheme which is a 7-month programme where I completed a 5-week bootcamp and educational project before moving into a delivery team. I didn’t know a great deal of coding before I joined Sky so I learnt a lot on the job!

What one piece of advice would you give to someone looking for their first role in tech?

Find a community or mentor who you can connect, discuss and share experiences with. For me, this helped massively to connect with like-minded women in tech and it reassured me that I do belong in tech and helped to fight off imposter syndrome.

Outside of work, you do a lot of volunteering and pay it back to the tech community. 🎊 Can you tell us a little bit more about that, and how you got involved in it?

Outside of work, I am a Girl

Code ambassador and help work towards closing the gender diversity gap in tech. I also completed the Code First Girls Fellowship which is a 2-month volunteering programme which aims to develop the next gen of tech leaders. I became a CFG Web Development instructor and taught a class of 40 women to code for 8-weeks. As well as, completing a research project, developing leadership skills and receiving mentoring to help with my career in tech and grow my confidence. After completing the Intro to Web Dev course myself, I was so glad to become an instructor this time round and give back to the community which helped me so much! Also, as of January 2022 I am a Sky Tech

Women Rep on the Tech

Women Committee which is something I am super excited to be a part of to push for gender equality across our teams. I saw the opportunity posted on various channels and decided to take the plunge and apply!

We recently celebrated International Women’s Day! Women should be celebrated every day for their achievements. But do you have any women in tech/life/career that particularly inspire you?✨

Yes, in tech my mentor at Sky Rebecca Wilson inspires me to go for my goals, push myself and she is always there to support me. Recently, she has been helping me to structure my focuses and work on learning the SOLID Principles. Also, of course I have to shout out my mum for always being there for me and being my number 1 fan!

Our careers are a big part of our lives and who we are - but what else do you enjoy doing to wind down and switch off from work? How do you keep your brain happy?

I love travelling and exploring new places, spending time with my partner, family and friends and listening to music to wind down. I also enjoy creating content for my tech socials @CCcodes_x where I share my journey and encourage others to consider a career in technology especially women from technical backgrounds and share tech tips, resources and opportunities.