Madeleine Brighouse-Mayo, Graduate Software Engineer at Movio

From fashion photography to finding an outlet for her natural interest in problem solving, Madeleine shares some insight into the importance of attitude and asking questions, as well as a call for more diversity in the tech space. Enjoy.

Firstly, how would you explain to your Grandma what you do?

"Ouma, you know how you love to play Candy Crush and Sudoku on the computer, well my job is making stuff like that on the web."

Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, if not, what was?

Absolutely not! I always thought I would go into fashion and photography. My mum always said I would be great at tech, so of course, I did everything I could to say away from it.

Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Movio?

Well, I had grown up in the New Zealand fashion industry, and one day I was working and looking after a special guest. I was talking to her about knitting and knitting patterns, how I can look at a pattern and see what it will look like. The other way round also, I can see a garment and know what the pattern would look like. She said that what I was talking about sounded a lot like what her husband did and that I should look into coding.

I went and learnt, and started working as a freelance developer, but I knew I had significant gaps in my knowledge and that the best way to fix that would be to find a Grad program. That's how I found my way to Movio.

What is it that you like about working in tech and at Movio, relative to your past jobs?

I miss my previous jobs, it was a fun industry, but now I'm being challenged, and I love problem-solving. There hasn't been much of a transition for me, I'm still creative with the fashion industry and with my photography. Now I just do it in my spare time.

Movio has made the transition into their company so smooth and easy, there has been so much support, especially during this time.

Do you have any advice for people considering tech as a career path and how they might get there quicker?

I don't think it matters if you're self-taught or have a degree, it's all about your attitude. Take in as much as you can, learn every chance you get and keep up-skilling. Tech moves fast, and you need to run with it. Ask questions! Ask millions of questions!

Lastly, as Movio continues to evolve, what kind of talent do you want to hear from over the coming year?

Women and the rainbow community are at the top of my list! I wanna hear from engineers, whether they are experienced or not, self-taught or not. This industry needs more diversity and more people from different backgrounds with different stories.