At Hastings, we value the expertise of all our professionals, yet we recognise we need to do our part to help bring more gender balance to the data and tech industry. We're committed to celebrating and supporting women in these areas, building a more diverse pool of data and tech professionals, and changing the profile of the industry over time. Our colleague Lisa has been with us for over a decade, starting in the Renewals team at our Bexhill call centre after graduating from university with a degree in Dance. Now a Test Lead, Lisa shares how she ‘stumbled’ upon opportunities in IT at Hastings which has led her to a fulfilling and fast-paced career in the tech space. Stumbling across tech My education couldn’t be more opposite to what I do today. I studied Performing Arts in college and then did a Dance degree at university so all of my current knowledge comes from my ten years at Hastings Direct where I started on the phones in the Renewals team. I was in this team for one year when an opportunity came up within IT to help test our old legacy system and online digital journeys. After helping out for a few weeks, I was offered a job as a user acceptance tester, which was when my journey within testing officially started and I became a Senior Tester before successfully moving on as a Test Lead. I would say I stumbled upon tech rather than looked for it. I was 21 years old, looking for something more substantial for my career growth and wanted to explore the departments that sat outside of the call centre. Once I moved into IT, a lot more opportunities came up and my career went from there. I’m now 31 and still in the tech world, learning something new every day and it keeps me on my toes. Patience and teamwork We all know that tech is temperamental so I think you have to be very patient as well as open minded and adaptable to the vast changes that can go through an IT department. This career is fast-paced and requires you to stay focused. You need to be able to work within a team as there are a lot of cogs turning at one given time which requires collaboration and understanding of everyone’s roles and responsibilities. I would also say be considerate of the fact that IT is not always easy and can be demanding. But it’s also extremely rewarding when you can sit back and see the impacts of your work which helps customers and the overall business, so take the good with the bad and embrace the opportunity to learn on the job. Women in tech The tech world for women can probably feel quite daunting, but this narrative is changing and a lot of women are comfortably working within this area. I think it’s really important for women to continue moving into tech if that’s what they’re passionate about and not be scared or intimidated by a male dominated profession. The area I work in is still currently male heavy but this is changing at a pace that should give women the opportunity to embrace the IT world. If you want to grow your career, I would always say not to be scared to push and strive for more. If you put your mind to something, you can achieve your end goal regardless of your gender. Be empowered and embrace the technical world and don’t be afraid to speak up and showcase yourself. Join us Are you interested in starting a career in tech with an inclusive, supportive company? Take a look at our opportunities and apply.