How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Tech Careers

In this inspiring episode of Workplus, host Richard Kirk speaks with Mia, a software tester and apprentice with Teamwork. From full-time mum to tech professional, Mia shares her journey into the software industry, offering hope and insight to anyone considering a return to work or a career pivot. This conversation is filled with practical advice, real-life wins, and powerful reminders that good work is possible, even while juggling school runs and software bugs.

Key Takeaways
• Apprenticeships make tech careers more accessible to parents and career changers
• Remote work is a game-changer for working parents
• Self-taught coding can lead to real jobs in software
• Apprenticeships offer flexible routes to earning a degree
• Software roles go far beyond just writing code
• Testing involves investigative, problem-solving skills
• Real-world work enhances academic learning
• Flexible hours allow better family-work balance
• Women should not be intimidated by tech
• Employers benefit from investing in apprenticeships

Best Moments
00:01:00. “I was sort of ready to get back into work. But I couldn't go back to college full time.”
00:03:29. “That was really inspirational for me. Just like a witness that you can actually go and get yourself a job without official qualifications.”
00:04:28. “I did the application. I wasn’t really sure whether I would get it. But I got an interview and a job.”
00:07:05. “Programing like actually writing code is not the only area you can go into in software.”
00:09:04. “Remote working is fantastic. I think it's like the only good thing that has come out of Covid.”
00:12:14. “You don't have to actually go in. So that is like, that's brilliant. It's a brilliant model.”
00:15:29. “I think women are faced with an impossible choice of having a career or having a family.”
00:18:32. “If you have a bit of an analytical way of thinking, it's really not unachievable.”
00:20:00. “Apprenticeships open the door to those kind of people... who want to upskill into software.”

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