Social media handle(s): LinkedIn - Jo Richards-Steele, Twitter - @iamjorichards
A few words about me:
My name is Jo, I am a Test Engineer at Solirius Consulting currently working on the HMCTS Reform programme at the Ministry of Justice.
I have 5 years of experience working in many software development teams across the government and transit intelligence sectors.
I am of Jamaican heritage but was born and raised in the UK. From an early age I have always been passionate about fairness and justice so it’s a full circle moment for me to now be working at the Ministry of Justice within the technical space.
Are there any professional experiences you've had that are quite unexpected compared to what you do nowadays?
I’ve co-hosted both a radio show and a podcast as I had an interest in media and presenting. Although I still have an interest in those areas, I’ve recently redirected my focus to music which I have a deep passion for and have started doing local performances.
Is your background more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or non-STEM related?
Non-STEM.
Where did your professional journey start?
After graduating university with a degree in Applied Social Science I started my career in tech as a New Business Sales Executive for a Managed IT Services company in the Midlands.
How did you get into tech and what motivated you?
I was looking for a career where I could directly help people and make an impact. I’ve always been quite personable and able to connect with people easily so I felt a role in sales would be a great fit. However, I realised I had a deeper interest in business operations and improvement which led me to join a graduate scheme that specialised in Business Analysis, Project Management and Software Testing.
Have you experienced any 'career in tech' challenges / stereotypes?
Not massively! Most companies are looking to become more diverse and inclusive in their hiring process so I often felt that being a woman from an ethnic minority background worked to my advantage. However, I did feel that coming from a non-STEM academic background automatically categorised me as “non-technical” which is simply not true.
"Coding is not the only entry point. If you have a genuine interest in coding then great - but there are many other career paths you can explore. Think about your skills and your strengths and research where they’ll be best placed or reach out to someone already working in the field to get an idea of the type of work they do from a real-life perspective."
What you wish you knew before getting started in tech...
What I wish I knew before joining tech is that you must develop a mindset of being a lifelong learner. Tech is not an industry where you become complacent. There’s always new tools, softwares and approaches to learn that will challenge you, and you will have to rise up to it. Staying up to date with new trends and ways of working, and sharing this knowledge with others, will give you the competitive edge you need to advance in your career and stay relevant within the industry.
What has been your biggest 'wow!' moment related to working in tech so far?
I have a few but one of my most recent ones was getting an opportunity to speak at the BSC women of colour in tech event in February 2023. Up to that point I had been quite active on X/Twitter discussing relatable QA topics and had only done speaking engagements online, so having my first ‘in-person’ speaking opportunity as a keynote speaker for such a prominent company within the technical industry was a pretty big deal! (Thank you Nicola!)
What do you like / not like about working in tech?
I love the challenge. Getting to know a new product, seeing it develop from scratch and having influence over not just the design but the end-to-end process of getting it to a usable state is super rewarding. I also love the strong sense of community in tech and how willing people are to collaborate and mentor - no matter your skill level.
The thing I least like about tech is the stress that comes with it - especially for product releases and if resources are not allocated correctly which can evidently lead to burnout. My advice would be to pace yourself and don’t take on more than you can manage, communicate this clearly with your managers so they can make contingencies if needed and manage expectations. It will also help to counteract the toxic culture of overworking which is notoriously common in tech.
"Staying up to date with new trends and ways of working, and sharing this knowledge with others, will give you the competitive edge you need to advance in your career and stay relevant within the industry."
What's been your favourite / most memorable / funniest 'career in tech' moment so far?
Most of my memorable moments are usually around the time of product releases. You know the meme of the old man smiling through the pain? Yeah - you’ll see that expression a lot in tech. Whether as a QA it’s looking at a pile of test cases and thinking ‘how on earth am I going to execute all of this?’ after being given an unrealistic deadline, or a piece of code breaking right before a product demo (both based on real-life experiences).
However, what I’ve learned is that things always work out no matter how chaotic they feel at the time - and like me in this moment struggling to remember a specific example, they become a distant memory. The problem is never as BIG as it seems, don’t be intimidated by it - face it! There’s always a solution, whether it completely mitigates the problem or helps to manage it. Just keep calm, stay composed, think logically and the solution will always find its way to the surface.
And to wrap up, is there any advice you'd like to give to others interested in a career in tech?
Yes, if you have a desire to work in tech give it a try. Coding is not the only entry point. If you have a genuine interest in coding then great - but there are many other career paths you can explore. Think about your skills and your strengths and research where they’ll be best placed or reach out to someone already working in the field to get an idea of the type of work they do from a real-life perspective.
Tech is used by all, therefore a career in it should be accessible for all. In fact I would love to see more of the older generations getting into tech - particularly in software testing. I think there’s a gap there as many older people have not grown up using technology and struggle to adapt. What better way to check our apps are usable/user friendly than to find someone who typically struggles to use it? Just a thought.
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