At Women in DevOps, we strive to promote gender equity as we encourage, celebrate, and empower like-minded tech professionals around the world. We are shining a light on our community member, Evie Skinner, who works as a Software Engineer at MadeTech.
Where did you study and what got you into technology?
I studied Modern Languages (French and Arabic) at Durham University, and then part of a PGCE (teacher training) at Newcastle University. I dropped out of the teacher training because I realised it wasn't for me, and I taught myself to code out of a book. I was inspired by friends of mine whom I'd met while travelling a few years earlier who happened to be software engineers, and they had a very enviable work/life balance. When I actually got stuck into coding itself, I realised how creative and logical it was, and how my linguist's brain was perfectly adapted to grasping this new medium of expression.
What have been your biggest career and personal achievements?
Going from never having written a line of code in my life to getting my first programming job in six months! Also, coaching at Codebar Bristol; providing the space for LGBTQIA+ in tech at QueerTech Bristol; and most of all, seeing the achievements of my amazing mentees.
Tell us about your current place of work and role.
I'm currently a mid-level engineer at Made Tech, where I build life-saving software for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Day to day, I use React, C# and Java to build features for two digital public services. I get to do a lot on the DevOps side too which is very new to me: creating cloud infrastructure with AWS and Terraform is especially fun!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
My younger self had to go through a great deal in order to become the glamorous human I am today. I would say to her brace yourself for some challenging times ahead but you gotta pay the cost to be the boss! Your emotional depth, self-confidence and assertiveness are unique strengths, not weaknesses: in the future, they will allow you to help others like nobody else can.
