Charlotte Lively is a third-year Computer Science student at the University of Liverpool, and is currently completing her industrial placement year with CGI.
Charlotte chose to undertake a placement year to gain valuable hands-on experience in the tech industry and enhance her career prospects. "I am excited to spend my placement year at CGI as a Test Analyst to see if this is an area I would be interested in, as well as exploring other pathways to pursue after graduating."
Here, Charlotte takes on the Tech Trailblazer challenge - telling Sync NI what she is currently working on at CGI as well as sharing her top advice for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the tech industry.
What does your typical day look like?
To start the day I will attend my team stand up, share my progress from the day before and outline my tasks for the day. I will also participate in any scheduled calls and focus on completing my assigned tasks efficiently.
What are you currently working on?
Currently I am working on enhancing one of the existing features in an app to ensure the client can use it as seamlessly as possible.
What inspired you to join this company in particular?
CGI is a highly prominent company, and with its recent expansion into Northern Ireland, I was keen to be part of its growth in the place I am from. Contributing to the company’s development here is exciting for me.
READ MORE: Tech Trailblazer - Abby Woods, Service Transition Project Manager at CGI
Did you always want to work in this industry (tech)?
Tech is something I have always been interested in, even from a young age. It offers so much potential and limitless possibilities and provides me with the chance to let my creativity and problem-solving skills be put to work.
What’s your favourite part about your work?
I love being able to create something that directly benefits the client, helping them in their day-to-day work. It is rewarding to see my work making a real impact.
What would you say to other people considering a job in this industry (tech)?
Continuous learning is important as tech evolves quickly. Try your best to keep up-to-date with any new trends or developments.
Who inspired you to work in this field?
Throughout my school years, my Software System Development teachers encouraged me to pursue a career in Technology. Coming from a small class in school, they believed in me and wanted me to succeed in this field.
What do you consider to be the most important tech innovation or development in recent years?
Wearable Technology. We’ve seen this with Apple’s Vision Pro. In my opinion, this isn’t necessarily the most important innovation, but I think it provides insights to the future direction of these technologies. It also helps gauge public interest in these kinds of inventions.
How do you see this technology impacting on our lives?
With the rise of wearable technology, I think there will be many ways it will impact our lives. Whether it means this tech will become more common or easily accessible remains to be seen, but I am excited for what the future brings.
What tech gadget could you not live without?
I couldn’t live without my laptop and phone, they are essential for so many aspects of my life so I can’t go without them!
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