Becky Veater: Technical Director

Job title:

Technical Director at Elixel Ltd.

Location:

Plymouth

What inspired you to go into engineering?

Easy access technology was pretty new when I was young. Not every household had a computer. My Dad was an IT manager and loved technology so I got to watch him working on a Windows 95 and playing PC games. He encourage me to engage in tech and experiment. I remember spending hours teaching a speech to text engine to understand my voice so I could narrate documents when I was around 10. After that I was hooked, built my first website when I was 12, and knew from there that tech was going to be my industry.

What do you love about your job?

I've always said that as a software engineer I love being able to start with a blank slate and create something visual and engaging from it. People talk about development like it's a science, but I believe in the creativity of it too. You have to problem solve, but you also have to have an eye for what looks good and feels right.

How did you get your job?

I made it. Following an entrepreneurship module in our final year, me and 3 of my university friends decided to set up Elixel. We were supported by the university incubation space and our industry placement companies to start up and founded our business on a total of £80. Technically my first job was the industry placement before that in third year, which was transformative to my career. Getting that job was a matter of resilience and persistence. I had a placement I really wanted, but hiring is hard for small businesses, so I offered to volunteer instead. After asking twice, and interviewing, they took the offer and I had a spot in industry for 12 months. During that time I became their sole developer, and continued to work for them part time during final year. They continued to give us work when we founded and some of the connections made there are still providing us business today.

What advice would you give to a young person looking to start a career in your industry?

AI is hitting the software industry hard. To stay relevant I would suggest 3 things. 1. Make sure you are well versed in what AI for software development means and how it can best be used. Yes, you can chat your way to a result, but what can you plan for and apply to ensure that it is reliable, secure, accessible etc. 2. Think about your career more holistically, learn about UX, discovery, workshop practices etc to better understand who and what the software is for, not just how its made. 3. Focus on the backend or testing. I've always been a front end dev, and I hate to say it, but React and Javascript are not where it's at any more. AI has too much of a handle on it. To have the most value in software now its about understanding the integral stuff. How should data be processed? What is the most efficient query? Can we ensure that there are no issues in this system? Being able to answer those kinds of questions are going to make you a more valuable hire.

Why would you encourage more girls to pursue a career like yours?

Even now the tech industry is still not gender balanced. It's improved since I started my career 14 years ago, but it's still only around 30%. Us as women change the dynamic in these spaces, we offer different insight, approach problems from different angles, and tend to build more empathetic relationships with colleagues and customers alike. Tech is central to everyone's lives and with AI in the mix the chances for bias are exponential. We need girls in tech to ensure our digital future is balanced, considered and designed for all.