By Kathryn McKenna, Editor of Sync NI
As Director of Engineering at DailyPay, one could be forgiven for presuming Joan Breen always aspired to a career in software engineering, believing from an early age that this was her goal.
However, having grown up on her family’s farm surrounded by animals in a rural setting, Joan was at one stage torn between pursuing a career in tech and becoming a vet.
"One of my earliest childhood memories is watching a vet come to our family farm to treat our very sick pet calf. The vet miraculously made her better with medicine, and I thought, ‘That is what I want to do,'" Joan explains to Sync NI.
Growing up with three brothers and keen not to be ‘outdone,’ Joan had a passion for dismantling and rebuilding new toys that came into the family home, as well as fixing things with her dad on the farm. It was clear from an early age that Joan had an inquisitive mind and was already honing the skills that would lead to her successful career in software engineering.
Joan Breen, Director of Engineering at DailyPay. Joan tells Sync NI about her original aspirations to become a vet before pursuing a career in technology. Credit: Sync NI
“I was always very curious about the way things worked,” she explains. “I would ask: Why does it do that? How does that work? We had the ABC computers at school, and I was mesmerised by them. When the mouse was moved and it showed up on the computer screen, I was absolutely fascinated and wanted to know exactly how that was able to happen.”
When Joan received her GCSE results, she realised she was just one grade away from achieving the grades necessary for studying to become a vet and pivoted to study Computer Science at Jordanstown University and determined to succeed in a career in tech.
Although Joan did not have any close personal ‘real-life’ aspirational figures to encourage her to adopt a career in technology she did admit to being inspired by the prolific computer coder, Grace Hopper, who featured in one of Joan’s favourite television series ‘Triumph of the Nerds’ when she was growing up. “I broke trail in this way because I was the only girl in my school who went on to a career in tech,”
Joan’s career has spanned a number of leading local tech companies gaining experience in software engineering and consulting for FTSE 100 companies before moving into management.
When DailyPay Belfast was launched, Joan instantly felt compelled by the company’s mission statement and wanted to get on board.
Having initially joined the team as Senior Manager in November 2021, Joan was promoted to the role of Director of Software Engineering as of November 2023.
“It is a huge drive to be working at DailyPay knowing people want our products because the things we are building make people’s lives easier.
“DailyPay is focused on helping those workers who are living month-to-month to not have to rely on credit cards, overdrafts or loans to make ends meet. The innovative financial solutions on our platform aim to help people break this cycle and help protect and boost their credit health. A lot of the products are about helping people to escape stressful financial situations which everyone can end up in, particularly due to the cost of living we find ourselves in today.”
If there was one thing Joan would eradicate in order to continue moving the dial in the right direction and inspire more females into tech careers, it is the perception that working in tech is not “fun.”
“Building software is amazing, it gives you power to be able to do anything, including building your own website and more. It is very cool to be able to pull out your phone and show your friends the different things you helped build.”
Another rewarding aspect of management for Joan is watching the individual career trajectories of her team take off. She says: “As a manager I particularly enjoy witnessing the growth and development of my team members – Kate being a prime example of someone who is a joy to watch excel.”
Kate McAleenan is a Senior Software Engineer at DailyPay Belfast. Kate tells Sync NI how she was inspired to enter the tech sector, never feeling intimidated as a woman in a male-dominated industry and how she is following in her older brother's footsteps. Credit: Sync NI
Kate McAleenan is a Senior Software Engineer and will have been a part of the DailyPay Belfast team for three years this August. Similarly to Joan, Kate’s career pathway was influenced by her childhood interest in solving challenges and building things.
Having grown up with an older brother, Kate describes the joy they derived from having similar interests growing up: “I am by nature a hands-on person and enjoy getting stuck into projects and building things. I grew up surrounded by technology – especially when it came to two-player computer games which naturally, I had to get involved in!
Refreshingly, Kate reveals that her personal experience of attending an all-girls school meant that she did not feel intimidated when it came to picking “stereotypically male-dominated subjects.”
Whilst there were only four pupils in the classes altogether, Kate enjoyed studying ICT and Computer Science and felt inspired by her older brother who also worked in tech and she chose to study Interactive Multimedia Design in Jordanstown University, which she describes as a “hands on” course which was particularly well-suited to her skills-set as it covered front-end development and design.
The course also involved a placement year, which offered Kate invaluable real-world experience as she explains. “The industry is so vast with so many different areas and opportunities. Finding your strengths can take a lot of trial and error and placement year is vital in helping you achieve this.”
Kate joined DailyPay having also been attracted to the company’s values. “I strongly related to the fact I would be working on something which would be impacting its users directly in a positive way,” Kate explains.
Hard work truly pays off at DailyPay, as Kate has quickly risen through the ranks. After initially joining the team as a Software Engineer, just seven months later Kate was promoted to Software Engineer II and a year later became a Senior Software Engineer.
“Joan and Paul are a massive source of inspiration. They want to see you do well and get the best from you. Johnny McFadden is also a massive asset in terms of helping you to succeed in your career. There is a real sense of network and community in the DailyPay office - people want to bring you up. The opportunities and ethos shine through.”
Similarly to Joan, Kate says one of the most enjoyable aspects of her job is being able to work on a tangible product which she can explain she worked on to her parents. “It is an incredible experience to show them something I have worked on and have them understand what it is.”
READ MORE: Paul Hill on what makes a quality Software Engineer and why AI cannot replace talented people
Citing her brother for being her driving force and inspiration behind her successful career in tech, Kate commends his work ethic as well as his drive and motivation. “I have reaped the rewards of him going before me and also our shared interests have allowed us to become even closer since leaving university and embarking upon our respective careers.”
Kate’s advice for young girls and women starting off in their tech careers is to attend as many industry events as possible. “Use the opportunities to network and meet like-minded individuals. Who knows what a chance meeting or introduction could lead to.”
