As part of our International Women’s Day series, we are sharing interviews with women across LA about their roles, their career journeys and their experiences in the workplace. Today, we speak with Vicki Ashton, Senior Systems Developer, who has been with LA for more than seven years. Vicki reflects on her path into technology, the evolution of her role and her experience working in an industry that has traditionally been male dominated.

Can you tell us a little about your role as a Senior Systems Developer and how it has evolved since you joined LA in May 2018?

I originally joined LA as a VisualFiles Developer, working specifically on developing the processes and workflows within VisualFiles.

Over the years I have been able to get involved in other areas and projects that have given me the opportunity to use some of the other skills I have acquired over the course of my career, such as our reporting tools, HTML and API functions and Portals.

I have built VisualFiles applications on my own, gathering and documenting the business requirements from scratch, developing the solutions and testing and implementing them, coordinating the whole process from start to finish. I have also overseen upgrades to the system, managing the tasks needed to complete them, working with others in the IT team, coordinating UAT testing with the business and the final deployments.

I have also offered elements of training to the business when new changes are added to the system, so that the new tools can be utilised effectively, and I also support the business when issues arise.

What first inspired you to pursue a career in technology?

My father worked most of his life as a Computer Programmer, and so even as a child I always remember there being computers (and various parts of them) around at home. Dad was always into his tech and would always be looking into the latest technology. As I got older, I seemed to share the same love of technology, despite the efforts of my mum who hoped I would go into her field of teaching.

I gained a good GCSE in IT and at college chose to take IT at A-Level, so by then I knew I wanted to work with computers in some way. After working for a few years using computers in some administration roles, an IT Trainer position became available. It involved training on the systems I had already been using, so I jumped at the chance to move into an IT role and my IT career began.

It was only by chance when I had to cover a colleague’s maternity leave that I trained and started working as a case management developer, and I loved it. When my colleague came back part time, I grabbed the opportunity to stay in the role and my career has grown from there.

What skills or qualities have helped you most in your career in IT?

The biggest skill I feel has helped me is that I can learn and pick up new things quickly. I am a kinesthetic learner, so being hands on and trying things out to see if they work has always been helpful.

Being a logical thinker has also helped me specifically with my role as a developer.

I am also organised, methodical and a bit of a perfectionist, which means I always try to make sure I have covered every possible scenario and tested every solution thoroughly before it is implemented. I hope this makes for a better solution and helps minimise risk or error.

Is there someone who has influenced or encouraged you in your career?

I can confidently say that everyone I have worked with in my IT career has taught me something. Both colleagues in IT and the various legal business areas I have worked with have all contributed to the knowledge and experience I have today.

I am always listening and learning, and I always ask a lot of questions because I like to understand things. I feel this helps me do my job better, and it also means I can offer alternative solutions to a problem if I feel there might be a better way to achieve the end result.

IT is so vast and is an ever changing field, so there are always new things to learn and understand.

What has your experience been like working in a traditionally male dominated industry?

When I started my first IT role I was actually part of an IT team that was predominantly women. It was a small team of six, but four of us were women, including the IT Manager. I have also worked in much larger teams which were more male dominated, but I have still seen a decent ratio of women working in those teams.

I can happily say that I have never experienced anything that made me feel different as a woman in the team.

Have you encountered any stereotypes or assumptions along the way? How have you dealt with them?

I have heard stories and seen TV programmes that paint a historic picture of women working in male dominated industries as fighting to be heard, not considered for promotions, being undervalued and not taken seriously. I am proud to say that I have not experienced anything like that in my career.

I was raised to always be a hard worker. I learn quickly and I am not afraid to muck in and help others. In every role I have undertaken I have tried to show my worth, learn from others, be friendly, approachable, knowledgeable and helpful. I have never felt I needed to do anything differently because I am a woman.

I think that is down to the people I have been privileged to work with and the companies I have worked for being very inclusive, open and encouraging to women in the workplace.