TrakCel’s Women in Tech. Hannah Weaver, Test Engineer

In this edition of our Women in Technology campaign we speak to Hannah Weaver, Test Engineer at TrakCel who shares her journey into software testing.

Growing up, did you have preconceived perceptions of the tech industry and the people who worked in it?

Absolutely! I grew up in the generation that saw the biggest developments within technology so I was always surrounded by it. My preconceived perceptions of the tech industry when I first started to get into technology was that it was ruled by middle aged white men with grey hair! I guess this made me more interested in exploring the possibility of working within the tech industry to try and break the mould.

What made you interested in working within the tech industry?

Being the only girl in my A-Level Computing class made me realise that the margin in the tech industry between men and women was far greater than I had imagined. It made me start researching whether the divide I saw in school was how it was in the big companies, it was. This made me even more determined to go on further and study a technology-related degree to break into this industry.

Have you experienced any personal or systematic setbacks at any point in your career?

In the second year of my degree I started looking at what companies were out there that would potentially take me on for some work experience. I found one company, sent an enquiry and they were interested, even offered a start date, which is when they asked for ID so they could put me into the system for a check which is when they immediately retracted their offer, which I can only assume was down to me being a female.

I took it as a learning curve that some people may just want an all male workforce but I still knew there was a place for me within this industry, it just wasn’t there.

TrakCel strives to empower its workforce and works to help each individual reach their potential, how has TrakCel supported you with your career aspirations and development?

Being my first job outside of university I became a Junior Test Engineer, the recognition I received very early on pushed me to continually learn and develop to the needs of the role which resulted in a promotion only 12 months after starting to which I then became a Test Engineer.

Life happens and this past year has not been easy for anyone and sometimes you just need that flexibility to take a moment and this is something Trakcel has provided me wholeheartedly.

Do you have any advice for women interested in building a career within the Technology Industry?

Do it! You may well be the only girl in a subject at school or on a degree course, but take it as an advantage, we think a lot differently to men and that can and will make you stand out with the ideas for projects you come up with.

Technocamps on Twitter supports Women in Technology by holding workshops and events specifically for women in tech, so that may be a good starting point!

Thank you to Hannah and all of our team who take the opportunity to share their experiences, we hope it offers inspiration to others to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in computing, science and tech.

Interested in a career in technology and IT? TrakCel is an equal opportunity employer and strives to promote and nurture talent across our whole team. To apply to become part of the TrakCel team view the latest career opportunities at TrakCel.