Bio
I joined Rapid7 3 years ago with around 6 months experience as a Python developer. I have a slightly different background from most of my peers in that I don’t have a technical degree, and had completed a coding bootcamp course to start my technical career. I started marketing at university and had worked in the hospitality, retail and automotive industries before making the change.
What does your typical day look like?
I typically spend three out of five days in the office, starting my day at 8AM. The early hours of my day are focus time; starting with catching up on slack, emails and PR reviews and then digging in to whatever ticket I’m currently working on. We have a really collaborative team, so when the other team members are in there is always a lot of discussion, both work related and not! As a software engineer my day isn’t packed with meetings, allowing me to dedicate the majority of my time coding features and investigating bugs.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently part of a team on the InsightCloudSec product whose main focus is extracting data from diverse cloud services such as GCP, AWS, Azure and Oracle. My daily tasks involve addressing and troubleshooting bugs, and implementing new features, both large scale and small. We use the kanban methodology which aligns well with the dynamic nature of our work; given the rapid pace of changes by the cloud providers we support.
What inspired you to join this company in particular?
Interestingly, it was my little brother who introduced me to Rapid7. While he was interning, he couldn’t stop praising the company. Although I didn’t have a background in cybersecurity, his recommendation and subsequent research about the company convinced me. The culture of the company was evident during my interviews, which was the main draw for me.
Did you always want to work in this industry?
My career path wasn’t clear until I was around 23. When I was at school I had always enjoyed IT, and did well in my A-Levels but it was never something I had considered for a career. My dad had always suggested it as a career path, but it wasn’t until then that I really listened to him. He got my brother, sister and mother convinced to work in technology too; so he’s been a pretty effective advocate!
What’s your favourite part about your work?
Definitely the people in my team. We all get on incredibly well and it’s so inspiring to work in a team with such a wide range of abilities, from our current interns to principal engineers, in which everyone has a chance to have their say and there is a great amount of respect for every single team member.
What would you say to other people considering a job in this industry?
I would encourage them to go for it! The tech industry offers so many diverse career paths, including product management, design, and engineering - there’s something for everyone. The work/life balance and the perks are a plus too!
How do you see this technology impacting on our lives?
InsightCloudSec impacts lives by enhancing the data security, reducing the risk of cyber threats, and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations for our customers. The work we do in helping customers safeguard their sensitive data indirectly benefits individuals by fostering trust in digital services.
Who inspired you to work in this field?
My entire family works within the technology sector in different roles which was a big influencing factor. My dad especially; he works so incredibly hard, and would spend a lot of his free time coding different personal projects - it’s not often someone enjoys their line of work so much they’ll do it in their spare time! So that was pretty inspiring.
What do you consider to be the most important tech innovation or development in recent years?
Generative AI stands out to me. Its impact is significant due to its transformative potential in various industries - from enabling realistic medical simulations or virtual environments for training pilots, to the artistic use cases, its versatility across so many diverse industries is pretty exciting.
What tech gadget could you not live without?
Aside from the obvious answer (iPhone), my husband and I recently bought a sunrise alarm clock and it’s been a game changer.
