Social media handle(s): @coellowa (Twitter)
A few words about me:
I’m a Director at dxw, an employee owned digital agency working for public good, where I lead our marketing and communications team and also sit on the Board.
When not working, I love socialising, gigs and wandering around my favourite spots in London (where I’ve lived for years now) and Sheffield (my hometown). I’m a city person, northerner at heart, and not unrelated to the latter, a 90’s indie music fan.
I have two kids and two cats, the cats are 100% more trouble.
Are there any professional experiences you've had that are quite unexpected compared to what you do nowadays?
The bulk of my career has been as a Civil Servant across different areas of the public sector. I started out doing policy development jobs, which then morphed into stakeholder engagement and comms roles, then digital comms.
Along the way I also did a stint in HR and was a Chartered Member of the CIPD. A slightly random career path that the Civil Service is pretty good at supporting.
I made the leap and left the government in 2017. I’ve always sought out jobs where I feel I can contribute to the public good, sometimes it hasn’t turned out that way. The reduced level of politics at work (with both a big and small p) has felt liberating for me.
Is your background more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or non-STEM related?
Non-STEM - I am a non-tech person working in tech.
Where did your professional journey start?
That said, I did start off doing science and maths A-levels. I always found numbers easier than words. That’s turned completely on its head now. At 18, I couldn’t see a science-based future for me, so decided to build on the numbers thing but shift towards social science and study for a degree in Economics.
That journey took me even further away from STEM (turns out Economics wasn’t the right choice either), my interest was more in the people and politics. So after graduating I applied for a generalist role in government. A 3 year development programme moving between different employment and skills-related policy and operational jobs.
Inevitably, the first role I was given was economics-based (I’d been after the opposite). But I soon moved on to jobs centred around things like employment support for disabled people, education and schools.
How did you get into tech and what motivated you?
Totally by chance.
I was working in a comms role in Whitehall and a restructure was pending, so I was looking for something new. Better to be in control of your own destiny, if you possibly can be. I’d heard that something called the Government Digital Service (GDS) was being set up. I didn’t consider myself at all digital. I wasn’t on Twitter. Whitehall didn’t really do that then (I know). But there was a comms job going, so I met the hiring manager for a coffee to find out more. A few weeks later, there I was.
It’s fair to say that the people I met at GDS have been part of my career path in one way or another ever since. They’re now a dispersed network of like-minded people who want to use digital to improve lives. Some are still in government, some are in dxw or other digital agencies.
Have you experienced any 'career in tech' challenges / stereotypes?
At the beginning, being a woman in a tech organisation (albeit in government) - and in particular, a woman that works in comms - meant I was automatically distrusted and / or dismissed by some people.
I learned not to take it personally (that was hard), and got on with the job. It helped a lot that I was supported and championed by a boss who was tech savvy, widely respected - and a woman. Mutual understanding and respect grows over time and you learn how to navigate and bridge the tech/non-tech gap. The culture evolved and became more inclusive as the team grew and diversified.
I have to say that dxw feels a world away from my early experience, and I don't take that for granted.
"Don’t be put off if you don’t have a STEM background. ... There’s space for lots of different types of people. The chances are you’ll have something valuable to offer. "
What you wish you knew before getting started in tech...
The above!
What has been your biggest 'wow!' moment related to working in tech so far?
Being there when the GOV.UK website went live, with the countdown and pressing of the [mocked-up] red button for added effect. It was the culmination of a great team effort, and the first step in delivering a vision for a better government focussed on supporting users.
"Pick your employer carefully. Have a proper look around to find a place that sits well with your values, will support your development and allow you to be yourself."
What do you like / not like about working in tech?
Things I like:
Seeing things get built and shipped that make a difference
Working in an agile way (not just on the tech), knowing you can fix or ditch something if it doesn’t work - and take the learning with you
I've been lucky to work with a lot of incredibly smart, passionate and kind people.
Things I don’t like:
Tech is nowhere near diverse enough. We need to attract, support and retain a lot more people from underrepresented groups. We should aspire to represent the people we create services for at all levels, and we’re still a long way from that.
And to wrap up, is there any advice you'd like to give to others interested in a career in tech?
Don’t be put off if you don’t have a STEM background. Serendipity is the reason I’m here. There’s space for lots of different types of people. The chances are you’ll have something valuable to offer.
Pick your employer carefully. Have a proper look around to find a place that sits well with your values, will support your development and allow you to be yourself.
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