“There’s no such thing as a stupid question”

Meet Helen, a Senior Software Engineer at Sopheon with over 25 years of experience in the web industry Beya recently caught up with her to discuss how her role has evolved over the years, climbing the ladder as a woman in tech, her challenges, and her advice for women looking to start their own tech journey.

Helen is a remarkable woman who has navigated her career across diverse roles, from Client Service Management to Software Engineering. With six years as both a Senior Software Engineer and Team Lead, she has been an invaluable asset to her team, driving collaboration and product growth. She’s also an active tech community member, regularly attending meetups and participating in various community initiatives.

Helen is a wonderful individual, and we’re excited to share her story with you!

Hey Helen, thanks so much for being part of Women Rock! We'd love to hear about your story so far, and how you got into the world of tech.

I attended a classic Bootcamp in Central London in the late '90s and have worked in the industry ever since.

Starting as an HTML coder, I progressed to roles like Client Services Manager, Project Manager, and Software Engineer. I've built hundreds of websites, created custom themes in WordPress and Drupal, and advised and managed clients. My work has recently focused on “Product”, modern JavaScript, React, Agile methodologies, and the software development lifecycle.

With 25 years as a developer, how has your journey been as a woman in tech? and how have you found climbing the career ladder throughout this time?

Before having children, I navigated a significant gap between programming languages like PHP and ASP and basic HTML. There were very few women in the programming space, so I decided to take a more client-facing route whilst continuing to code both at work and freelance.

After returning from maternity leave in 2007 and again in 2009, I found it challenging to be taken seriously as a part-timer working three days a week. I managed on very low pay for 10 years while also caring for my children. I believe part-time workers who balance caregiving responsibilities are taken more seriously now, though I may be wrong.

Six years ago, I made the deliberate decision to return to coding full-time, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I'm grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way, especially the late Tim Marsh, to whom I owe so much. I strive to carry forward his kindness, inclusivity, and remarkable intellect.

What advice would you give to Women wanting to start a career in tech?

• Start coding and building things
• The vast majority of people in tech are friendly and helpful, it’s a wonderful community, try going to some meetups
• There are no stupid questions

Do you believe a University Degree is essential for individuals wanting to get into the tech world?

No, although there are more companies asking for a computing degree. I have never been asked or needed any qualifications.

How have you found the female/ men diversity split in varying workplaces across your career? The general statistic for 2024, is that only 13% of females work in specifically the php sector.

Recently, we successfully built and recruited a team consisting of 75% female JavaScript and PHP engineers, which is quite rare. I have never been interviewed by a woman, but I have had the opportunity to recruit engineers myself. We weren’t practising positive discrimination—just hiring the best candidates.

In most teams I've worked with, there have been significantly fewer women. The 13% figure sounds about right.

What is your proudest achievement in tech?

Successfully moving back to full-time coding in my mid-40s and being promoted to a Senior Software Engineer.

Have you faced any challenges or barriers as a Woman in Tech in your career?

I don’t know if it’s being a woman or working part-time but yes.

You mentioned when we previously spoke that diversity is something you are passionate about, therefore, what do you think can be done to help attract a more diverse mix of people in tech?

Ensure there is more diversity within the hiring team and give opportunities to people who may not look or sound like the rest of the team. Create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome.

What is the next step for you in your career?

Stay in a dev role, or move into a team leader role. I love watching and encouraging others to develop and grow and would like to use my people skills again.

What do you do outside work to relax?

Walk my dog, spend time with friends and family, pottery and yoga.

Who have been the most influential people in your life?

For life in general my wonderful family and friends and in my professional life; my friend and colleague (Tim) who sadly passed away.

If there is a song that would describe you, which song would this be?

I don’t have a song, but my favourite animals and probably what describes me best are Goats.

What book would you recommend?

It's a tricky one. Although it's incredibly traumatic, it is by a woman, so "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara made me cry more than once.

Finally, could you leave us with your favourite quote?

“There’s no such thing as a stupid question”

Interviewed by Beya Durante