All part of building your career
Career growth looks different for everyone, and there is no single path into tech. At Liberty IT, employees have opportunities to learn, develop their skills and explore work that makes an impact.
A career journey built on curiosity and growth
One of the most interesting things about a career in technology is that people rarely arrive at it in the same way. For some, the interest starts early. For others, it builds gradually through study, work, or a moment of realisation that technology might be a better fit than they first imagined.
For Amanda, now a Senior Software Engineer at Liberty IT, that journey started with an interest in ICT at school, grew through university and developed further through Liberty IT’s graduate programme.
We spoke to Amanda about her journey into tech, what helped her progress from graduate to Senior Software Engineer, the work she does today, and the mindsets that have helped her continue to grow and move forward.
Starting a career in technology
What first sparked your interest in a career in technology, and what brought you to Liberty IT?
I enjoyed ICT at secondary school and was always curious about the possibilities in technology, but I didn’t actually write my first line of code until university. I came across Liberty IT while job hunting after graduation and decided to apply.
After a long wait, I received three offers in the same week. My decision came down to the interview experience: Liberty IT stood out because the interview day felt welcoming and community-focused, which made the choice easy.
The graduate role route into engineering
Amanda, how did you find Liberty IT’s graduate programme, and how did it compare to what you expected from a graduate role in tech?
It’s hard to remember all my original expectations, but the six-week graduate programme really helped me settle in. From day one, I had a dedicated leader who was there to support my individual development, not just oversee project delivery.
That ongoing career guidance, with people actively supporting your broader growth, not just the current task, has exceeded my expectations and made a big difference to my career development.
How would you say the programme supported your development, and what has kept you growing here?
The people and the company culture. I’ve been lucky to work with very knowledgeable teams and colleagues who are willing to mentor and support you during the learning phase.
That collaborative environment set a standard for how I work with others and kept me motivated to stay and grow. And yes, the technical challenges are interesting too.
Solving real problems with modern technology
Engineering careers grow through learning, but they also grow through meaningful work. For you, that means working with teams who are building, deploying, supporting and improving technology that has real-world impact. Could you describe a typical working week for you?
I work in Machine Learning Solutions , where I develop, deploy and maintain ML models and work closely with data scientists who design and train the algorithms. A lot of my time goes into productionising models and automating previously manual data processes.
My work is varied day to day, with the technology stack shifting depending on the task at hand. Some days are straightforward, while others involve debugging and incident response. Here are some engineering tools I use regularly: Apache Airflow, Snowflake, Databricks, GitHub Actions, and Datadog.
Growing a career with support and flexibility
Over time, from speaking to our people, it’s become clear that just like starting a career in technology doesn’t follow one fixed path, progression in tech can look different for everyone. What does career progression look like at Liberty IT?
There are multiple paths. My progression has been technical. I joined as a graduate Associate Software Engineer, then moved to Software Engineer and now Senior Software Engineer.
You can continue advancing technically or move into leadership if that’s your interest. There are also other roles across the business, such as Product Designer, Product Owner and Data Scientist, which allow you to stay in the technical space while focusing on different aspects of delivery and product.
A culture that helps engineers keep moving forward
When you think about the environment in which you’ve built your career, what stands out most? What do you think software engineers who’d never considered Liberty IT before should know about our culture?
The Liberty IT culture is unique. It prioritises people while driving high-performance engineering.
That, combined with flexibility to move internally, makes it easy for engineers to develop new skills and grow their careers in different directions.
Mindsets that support long-term growth
Technology careers are built on constant learning, but growth often comes down to mindset as much as technical ability. From your perspective, what are some of the strengths and mindsets that help people develop and grow at Liberty IT?
For me, the growth mindset is about being curious, asking questions and treating mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures. I think of collaboration as a mindset too, being willing to pair-program, share knowledge and accept feedback.
People learn faster when they support one another.
Learning beyond the code
When people think about working in tech, they often focus on coding, tools and platforms. But what has this career taught you about working with people, solving problems and handling challenges?
Working in tech taught me that clear communication, honest feedback and teamwork are essential. It also taught me resilience. Staying calm, investigating methodically and recovering from failures matters more than any single technical trick.
Advice for anyone considering a career in tech
For someone looking at technology as a possible career, whether they’re at school, at university, in another industry, or just starting to explore their options, what would you encourage them to focus on?
Stay curious and be open to continuous learning because tech is always evolving. AI is a great example of that and I’d encourage anyone considering a career in tech to embrace AI as a force multiplier.
Learn how to use tools to accelerate development, automate repetitive tasks, and prototype ideas faster. Practice prompt engineering. It has become a practical, everyday skill, so building confidence with it early can make a real difference.
Looking for opportunities in tech or to grow your career?
Amanda’s journey shows that there is no single way to build a meaningful career in technology. Her story also reminds us that skills and tools change, but curiosity, collaboration, resilience and a willingness to keep learning continue to matter.
At Liberty IT, those qualities are supported through meaningful engineering work, mentoring, flexible career pathways and a culture that helps people grow in different directions.
