Epic Women in Tech — Kathryn Armitage
My name is Kathryn Armitage, I am from West Yorkshire but currently live in London. I am a Junior Software Engineer at Superbet. I worked in Bridal as a sales consultant and buyer before I switched my career to be in tech in my 30s.
How did you get into the tech field?
I started the code from home to test out whether I liked it or not. I wanted to change my career as I was fed up so decided to try a few different courses out at home. I Became obsessed with coding so decided to do a bootcamp and carry on studying from home and then I applied for jobs.
What are the main challenges in this field?
As there are so many languages it’s very difficult to decide(alone) which ones to focus on. I now focus on React, Javascript and Erlang as that is what my job needs me to do.
What are the things you’ve learned being a woman in tech?
It hasn’t been advertised to women the way it should have been and probably is doing now. I LOVE the job, I work from home, the benefits and money is good. Why did I not do this earlier???
What advice would you give to women who would like to join the industry?
I would recommend researching the languages and trying to find a bootcamp that focuses on the ones that work for you. My bootcamp was Ruby which I haven’t touched since I left. It’s not popular enough to be used at a bootcamp anymore. Try out things, do a computer science degree if you can or just a bootcamp and then practice at home. Companies are hiring as many women as they can so it’s the perfect time.
Who are your role models?
I love Ania Kubow, she also came from a different background and changed into tech. She makes awesome Javascript games on Youtube.
If you could go back in time to your first days in the industry, what would you do differently or tell yourself?
I would tell myself to find a React/Javascript bootcamp instead as to me those languages are what people are calling out for and they take a while to learn instead of wasting my time trying out all of them and being in a bit of a muddle.
If you are a founder or a member of a community for women in tech, can you introduce it?
I am part of GirlCode — Women-In-Tech Community & Technology Consultancy
