After 16 years in the hairdressing industry, Avril Maleham realised that her true calling lay in tech.<\/p>\n
Her journey into this field shows that it’s never too late to pursue your passions and find fulfilment in life.<\/p>\n
With a flair for creativity and the need for change, Avril embarked on a life-changing pivot, ultimately deciding on the Institute of Data\u2019s Software Engineering programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n Avril\u2019s story is not only one of curiosity & resilience but also one of redefining personal and professional identity.<\/p>\n It highlights the endless possibilities within the tech industry, encouraging others to embrace change and explore their true potential.<\/p>\n We were excited to catch up with Avril, learn about her experiences with the Institute of Data’s Software Engineering programme<\/a>, and hear any advice she can offer to potential students.<\/p>\n I’m originally from England. After travelling for a little bit, I ended up settling in New Zealand.<\/p>\n I’ve been living in Auckland for the last seven years.<\/p>\n I love travelling and living near the beach.<\/p>\n I love getting outdoors, which is why I enjoy living in New Zealand so much.<\/p>\n New Zealand is so good for camping and kayaking \u2014 all that kind of stuff.<\/p>\n I left school in England at 16. At that point, I’d already had my Saturday job in a hair salon for two years.<\/p>\n I was quite academic at school, especially with maths and science, but I didn’t have much encouragement to pursue it.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t unusual in England to leave school at 16. I didn’t even consider university, so I became a hairdresser.<\/p>\n There wasn’t any deep thought into it. It was the path I was already on. I did that for 16 years of hairdressing – that’s over half a lifetime!<\/p>\n It\u2019s a long time to be in a career.<\/p>\n[su_quote]I still love a lot about the industry, but I was ready for a change.[\/su_quote]\n I\u2019ve always been quite curious about technology.<\/p>\n I came to a point where I realised I wanted to do something technical, but I didn’t know what options there were.<\/p>\n After some online research, I came across the Institute of Data\u2019s Software Engineering programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n[su_quote]I was attracted to software development because Software Engineering is still a bit creative.[\/su_quote]\n I chose to study with the Institute of Data because the part-time programme meant that I had the option of completing the programme while working.<\/p>\n I stepped back my hours at work a little to complete it.<\/p>\n What stood out for me was the structure the programme gave me.<\/p>\n Instead of spending excessive time learning JavaScript, having a structure allowed us to move through the material more efficiently.<\/p>\n The support from our peers and the tutors and trainers was invaluable.<\/p>\n[su_quote]I quickly realised that everyone in my programme was in the same situation.[\/su_quote]\n Having the other students to talk to and bounce ideas off of was encouraging, and having different approaches to teaching was helpful.<\/p>\n Once I finished the Software Engineering programme<\/a>, I signed up for the Institute of Data\u2019s Job Outcomes programme.<\/p>\n Kate, my job mentor, was so nice!<\/p>\n I had a few meetings with her, and she made herself available to discuss any issues or doubts.<\/p>\n Talking things over with her was so helpful, and it was so good to have that support.<\/p>\n The CV writing, LinkedIn workshops and cover letter writing were really helpful.<\/p>\n In my job hunting, it helped to have a good starting point on which to build.<\/p>\n I applied for about 80 jobs, which is time-consuming but normal.<\/p>\n It gave me a lot of practice and the opportunity to refine my CV and interview techniques.<\/p>\n The first interviews were challenging, but looking back, they were really helpful in terms of practice.<\/p>\n Networking was a huge thing, too.<\/p>\n In Auckland, there’s a group called \u2018Girls in Tech<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n Through Girls in Tech,<\/i> I met many supportive women who gave me heaps of advice.<\/p>\n And then eventually, I spoke to the right person at the right time at Spark<\/a> and landed a role.<\/p>\n From a personal perspective, it’s probably the fact that it’s a career that I get into that \u2018flow state<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n Getting into that flow state is key in any career, so it doesn\u2019t feel like work.<\/p>\n Also, the amount I’m learning and opportunities have been awesome – especially with the team I work in.<\/p>\n I have been encouraged to try things and give them a go, and that’s such a great learning culture \u2014 to be not held back from anything.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an industry where I\u2019m really supported to progress.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a good work-life balance too, and there are opportunities to work from home as well as for pay progression.<\/p>\n[su_quote]It\u2019s innovative. It’s exciting. It\u2019s future-focused. I think that’s probably the best thing about it.[\/su_quote]\n The ability to learn is key.<\/p>\n You need to be curious and want to learn because technology constantly changes.<\/p>\n Even if you’re experienced, there’s always something new to learn.<\/p>\n That’s probably the number one soft skill<\/a> I would recommend.<\/p>\n Teamwork and collaboration skills are important, too.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a stereotype about software developers and tech people that they’re not great with people, but I haven\u2019t found that to be true.<\/p>\n Everyone I’ve met in tech has been fun. It’s important to want to try and fit into a team.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to get into software engineering<\/a>, a tip for anyone applying for a job in software engineering is to make sure you’ve got a really strong CV.<\/p>\n The same goes for interviews as well – make sure you’ve practised how to interview and that you are prepared for all of the kinds of questions that might come up.<\/p>\n If you don’t get that job, apply for another.<\/p>\n We all want to see an increase in the ratio of women to men in the industry.<\/p>\n Tech is still a male-dominated industry. I\u2019ve had lots of support, but it can still be intimidating.<\/p>\n With the Software Engineering cohort that I was a part of, there was pretty much a 50\/50 split between men and women, which was encouraging.<\/p>\n It\u2019s so important to encourage women into tech. I\u2019m always super happy to help and advise on career changes because I\u2019ve been through it!<\/p>\n The next thing for me is to build and grow as a developer.<\/p>\n I want to expand my skills and experience as a developer and branch out into learning more about data<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond that, I want to keep learning!<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to learn more about our programme, Avril studied with the Institute of Data, then download the Software Engineering course outline<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can book a career consultation<\/a> with one of our experts at the Institute of Data to discuss the programme and start your journey with an actionable plan.<\/p>\n1. Avril, please tell me about yourself.<\/h2>\n
2. How did you first become interested in tech?<\/h2>\n
3. Why did you decide to study software engineering with the Institute of Data?<\/h2>\n
4. How did you find the programme overall?<\/h2>\n
5. You finished the programme and got a job in the industry. Can you share your approach to job searching?<\/h2>\n
6. What do you love the most about working as a budding Software Engineer?<\/h2>\n
7. What do you think makes for a good software engineer?<\/h2>\n
8. What would you say to other women considering moving to the tech industry?<\/h2>\n[su_quote]There’s an amazing community of women who supported me; so I’d say you don’t need to be intimidated by the industry.\u00a0There\u2019s a lot of help available if you want it.[\/su_quote]\n
9. What are your aspirations and hopes for your career?<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n