Meet Junior Software Engineer and Code First Girls alum Amina Marzouk

*Last year, we sponsored a group of high performing women to take a Code First Girls Nanodegree and kickstart their tech career. Meet Amina Marzouk, a former Control systems engineer to Junior Software Engineer and hear about how her career journey has brought her to the Zopa tech team *

Firstly, welcome to Zopa! Can you tell me what your role is here?

I am a Junior Software Engineer.

Why did you choose the Code First Girls NanoDegree?

I wanted to switch careers, so I wrote a “plan” of what I needed to learn and get familiar with. Code First Girls syllabus covered most of it and you could get sponsored for a place. There are various amazing bootcamps/courses out there but I felt CFG offered more than just a course.

Tell us about your background?

Before joining Zopa, I graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and worked in the utilities industry as a Control systems engineer. I mainly worked on the software side of projects. The last project I worked on was for Scottish Water, they wanted to add new filters to their water treatment plant. From a software aspect, that meant programming a logic controller to know when to open certain valves and start/stop pumps.

What inspired you to get into tech?

I come from a “traditional” engineering background (that’s what my lecturer called it lol) and it really did feel traditional, like there hasn’t been much change over the years. In my previous role, most of the work I did was on software that was only supported by Windows XP. I really wanted to work in an industry that's growing and constantly changing, where I’m constantly learning. Tech ticks all these boxes.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

I always find these questions so hard to answer as it changes every time I'm asked but I guess I would have to describe myself as; observant, thoughtful and analytical.

What are you most excited about being here at Zopa?

I'm really excited about the people and the culture. Everyone is so knowledgeable and excited about their work. It’s an inspiring place to start my new career. I know I'm going to learn so much from everyone and grow as an engineer.

Now what are your thoughts on women considering tech as a career?

I would say, Go for it ! Reach out to other women in tech, to get a real insight into the industry. Seek out opportunities that will help you; like CFG, I tell everyone about it because it's an amazing place to start with a big supportive community

Why do you think women are so important in tech?

I think women are important in tech because they bring a different perspective that adds value to a team/workplace. Also having representation is important, having role models encourages women/girls to pursue careers in tech.