Ever felt stuck in a career that doesn’t excite you, but unsure of the next step? Calie’s story might be the inspiration you need. After 16 years at Vauxhall, she took a leap of faith, leaving the motor industry behind and unexpectedly finding her way into coding through a GirlsCode meetup in Milton Keynes.

Now a Frontend Developer, Calie has worked on countless projects, from boot camp learning to implementing cutting-edge UI testing frameworks. For those starting out in tech—or anyone looking for that push to take the leap—Calie shares her experiences with imposter syndrome, trusting your instincts, and navigating male-dominated industries.

Plus, she reveals her top book recommendation for beginners in tech!

Hey Calie, thanks so much for being part of Women Rock! We'd love to hear a bit about you and how your tech journey started.

After 16 years working in a variety of roles for Vauxhall Motors - like a lot of the people who grew up in Luton - I got an offer I couldn’t refuse and took voluntary redundancy.  I wanted something different but didn’t have a clue what life looked like outside the motor industry, so I downloaded the Meetup app and started trying to broaden my horizons.  I quizzed everyone I met about what they did for work, what they liked and didn’t like about it, what their dream job looked like and so on.  Eventually, I ended up at a group in Milton Keynes called GirlsCode - they were so friendly that it helped ease a lot of preconceptions I had that coding was only for the super intelligent, or people who had been using a computer from the age of 3.  After an hour on FreeCodeCamp, I began to realise it might be something I could learn to do, and eventually, I decided that a boot camp was going to be the best way for me to kick-start my new career.  

We’d love to hear about some projects you’re proud of.

Back in boot camp, I created a picture-sharing app as my final project. Considering what I already achieved in the past 12 weeks I was proud of how far I had progressed.  Completing that boot camp course was incredibly intense and is still probably one of my proudest achievements!

I’m also incredibly proud of all the milestones from my first engineering role - completing that first ticket solo, leading sprint retrospectives, and contributing missing features - the lack of which were blocking customers from buying our products.  In particular, I helped to implement a UI testing framework and TDD approach to building these features; I presented all of the reasoning and findings to the R&D department and was pleased to be told my enthusiasm had helped one of the seniors overcome his initial reluctance to change our approach to building out the UI.

Looking back, what do you wish you’d known when you first started your tech journey?

Googling isn’t cheating, in fact, it might be the best tool in your kit if you use it right.

Don’t be intimidated by senior developers.  It might seem like they have all the answers but what seniors actually have over you is just experience.  The best senior devs have learned how to apply their experiences to new scenarios and want to help you do the same, so try seeing them as a source of inspiration - tap into their wealth of knowledge and experience wherever you can.

Trust your gut, know your worth and don’t settle for less.

I’m currently reading “Keep Calm and Code On - A Tactical Guide For Navigating The Pitfalls Of Software Development” by Alex Lau - with the benefit of hindsight I’m realising I’ve fallen foul of a lot of the cases he explains so it’s a bit of a tough read!  Every developer should read this, especially those just starting out.

As a woman in tech, what’s been the best and toughest thing you’ve experienced in the industry?

The best would be the huge support network that exists between women in tech and also their allies. Yes, we’re largely under-represented but there’s a lot of us that want to help lift each other up. I’m used to working in male-dominated industries but it’s usually been a much lonelier experience.

The worst bit, I think, is always going to be based on personal experience. Having been an apprentice car mechanic in my 20’s then a junior developer in my 40’s, for me it’s probably the difficulty getting started. You’ve got to have a lot of self-belief, not accept low-ball wage offers, then when you do land that first role, have the confidence to speak up or even walk away if your developmental needs aren’t being met. As women, this often feels difficult due to the way we are conditioned growing up. 

What do you do outside of work?

I like to keep up with tech outside of the area I’m currently focusing on.  As mentioned before, the path to senior relies heavily on experience, so it makes sense to try and build this up in your spare time as well - you never know when that article you read or video you watched might come in handy.  There are plenty of newsletters that do a great job of condensing the news into a regular email (I especially like ‘Frontend Focus’, ‘This Week In React’ and ‘Javascript Weekly’), and sites like Meetup and CFE.dev are a great starting-point to find seminars and talks you can watch online.

Outside of tech I love to watch football and cycling, and I also like to do yoga, knitting and crochet to relax.  So far I’ve taught myself to make a few cool bits of clothing and blankets, and some gifts for relatives.  My husband and I adopted a rescue dog 5 years ago so we are out walking a lot, always trying to find cool new places to explore.  We are both keen on travel and live music.  

Finally, could you leave us with your favourite quote?

I’ve got 2 - when I was little my dad said to me “don’t worry about what everyone else is doing,  you just look after yourself”.  I think he was telling me not to be a busybody, and that one has been a guiding principle that’s stuck with me for life.  The other is “what is meant for you will find you” - it’s important to be open to all opportunities and consider that things usually happen for a reason.

Interviewed by Ben Dennison