Learning how to code has built up my confidence and I'm really happy that I get to follow my passion in my day job but also in my personal life.
I’m Pauline, I’m 22 and I’m a coder.
In my day-to-day job I work in dev ops and what that means is when my company launches a new product my end job is to make sure the website is running smoothly.
I started coding when I was eight and loved it so I jumped on the chance to study Computing at GCSE but when I walked into my class I was the only girl and I quickly felt very isolated and alone.
When it came to picking my A-levels I decided to drop Computer Science and went on to do a Bio Medical Sciences degree at university.
I continued to code in secret, it was just a side hobby I loved, I never talked about it to anyone but then in my second year at university I discovered a coding community for females. From the moment I joined that community I regained my confidence to talk about my love for tech. I’ve delivered speeches in the tech industry about the importance of having diversity in STEM subjects from school all the way up to the work place. This led to my being listed as one of the top twenty-five under thirty in tech.
From all of this I’ve managed to build my own coding business which is my passion. Learning how to code has built up my confidence and I’m really happy that I get to do my passion in my day job but also in my personal life.
- Pauline creates and manages websites for her customers in her day job, as well as freelancing with her own coding business
- She started coding when she was eight years old
- At GCSE, she took Computing but felt isolated as she was the only girl
- At A-level, she decided to drop Computer Science and went on to do a Biomedical Sciences degree at university
- She continued to code in secret until she found a coding community for women, which boosted her confidence to talk about her passion
- She has given speeches on the importance of diversity in the tech industry
- Pauline has been named as one of the Top 25 under 30s in Technology.
A similar role to Pauline's is a web developer. Web developers create and maintain websites and web applications.
What to expect if you want to be a web developer
- Web developer average salary: £20,000 to £50,000 per year
- Web developer typical working hours: 37 to 40 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a web developer?
You could get into this role via a university course, a college course (such as a T-level – England-only – or a Level 3, 4, or 5 Diploma), an apprenticeship, or by starting out in a role such as junior developer and completing further training whilst you work.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service, GOV.UK.
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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