Meet the team: Tech Returners 2022 Cohort
At Holiday Extras we are constantly looking at ways we can support those looking to grow their careers within tech, be that through our Industrial Placement students, Apprenticeship programme or more recently our partnership with Tech Returners. Tech Returners provide the tools and experience to those who have taken a break from their career in tech, allowing them to up-skill and return to an industry they love.
We are proud to have sponsored our first cohort with Tech Returners and have successfully onboarded six fantastic engineers into our team — Richard, Anna, Adam, Sukirti, Marwa and Aisha. They have integrated into our Group Tech & Product team with the opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of products and technologies. There are plenty of opportunities to continuously develop and make positive contributions.
After completing the Tech Returner’s programme and successfully onboarding into the team, we reached out to Richard, Anna, Adam, Sukirti, Marwa and Aisha to see what they had to say about their experience with Tech Returners and their time at Holiday Extras so far:
What were your favourite aspects of the Tech Returners programme?
Richard: It’s very difficult to pick out just some aspects of the programme, the whole thing was amazing. If I had to pick out a couple of things firstly I’d say the camaraderie and collaboration between the returners and the staff at TR was a highlight. We were all supporting and helping each other to reach our goals and it was motivating to feel part of a community in which we could share our experiences. Secondly, I’d say the non-technical coaching aspect of the programme really helped me to get into a good, positive mindset about what I could offer and how I could get back into the industry after a long time away.
Anna: Very well structured technical sessions where I learnt a lot of new tech and refreshed my knowledge on good software engineering practices. These sessions were followed with practical tasks; it was great to do hands-on programming again. I also benefited from confidence and growth mindset workshops. I enjoyed working with people in a similar situation to mine, all very enthusiastic and keen to get back into tech.
Adam: Initially I was nervous about starting and questioned whether I could keep up the pace juggling the workload and two kids, but very quickly I was surprised at how quickly my love of coding came back and how easy this motivated me. The one thing that always put me off returning to code was the thought that the industry had evolved beyond my capability, but the tech returners program was very quick in showing me my worth and in how it was far within my reach to gain those skills again. In the first week we were set a number of challenges and I surprised myself by staying up after putting the kids to bed, just to refactor and tweak to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the task. I think I was still working on those many weeks into the course, just to apply the new techniques I had learned and how they could have been used to better my approach.
Sukirti: The Tech Returners programme provided a perfect platform to sharpen my technical skills, rebuild my confidence and get myself into a growth mindset. Working in the programme, each day made me feel more confident-professionally and personally. Every moment in the programme was exciting, be it the individual tech tasks, pair tasks, constructive feedback, sessions and discussions, lightning talks with HX and meeting with people from all over the world — realising that everyone is in a similar situation! This programme, in a true sense, was an empowering step for those who had to be away from their tech love due to some reason and are longing to come back.
Aisha: After a long career break, Tech Returners programme was like a breath of fresh air. There was a lot to learn in terms of new tech skills but it didn’t feel too intensive. We received great support during the course and even after from our fantastic coaches, whose knowledge and friendly teaching style made this journey much easier for us all. Throughout my time with Tech returners, I picked up invaluable tech skills and soft skills which I am using now during my time in Holiday Extras.
Marwa: The technical part is really good. It opens the door for a lot of information related to the backend , but I prefer The growth mindset part. It always starts and ends in how you think , see things and make your own decisions.
What have you enjoyed most about working for Holiday Extras (so far)?
Richard: There have been many highlights during my time at HX so far. When I started I was made to feel very welcome by the whole team, which really helped me to settle in quickly. I’ve been able to work on some really interesting projects with tech I enjoy using and there has been an excellent correlation between what I learnt on the Tech Returners programme and what I am working on now. I feel like I am putting my skills to good use and making a positive difference. It’s great how everyone has an equal voice and can make suggestions that impact the business and our customers.
Anna: How friendly and supportive everyone is. During the Tech Returners programme, Holiday Extras told us how important their employee’s wellbeing was. I am happy to see that it is indeed a very people-oriented culture here. I am also very grateful to my team for the warm welcome I’ve received.
Adam: The style of working, the flexibility and working in a large team with a shared goal is something that I have been lacking and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. It has been amazing to work with like minded professionals and to feel like you have a voice that is being heard and taken into consideration. I really feel like I am making a difference to my team and feel valued which only motivates me to work harder and make the most of the work I am doing. Likewise, being able to do this while not sacrificing time away from my children is a blessing and something I really am thankful for.
Sukirti: The journey with HX has been amazing since the beginning. Joining back in the tech industry after a career break is tough as there are still only a handful of companies who are ready to fully trust and support the passion of a person with a gap in their resume. I am glad that HX decided to sponsor the programme dedicated to that talent group. I wanted to restart my career with an organisation that allows me to learn and grow while also providing stability, understanding flexibility, and a positive work culture. HX got all these boxes checked! By resonating with their values and interacting with their people, I feel seamlessly integrated with HX. ‘Be Pioneering In Spirit’: approaching innovation with curiosity, openness, and energy is exactly what I love most!! I also appreciate the remote working option and the transparency in my career growth path.
Aisha: I really like the work environment in Holiday Extras. It is really easy to interact with the people within and around different teams. And they always give you time and space to work around, learn, develop and understand the business. Every piece of work (big or small) I am doing in Holiday Extras is increasing my knowledge and helping me explore, understand the business a bit more. I am really thankful to the Holiday Extras team for their patience and providing me this exciting opportunity to be a part of the team.
Marwa: I really like learning new stuff everyday. The people are really nice, friendly and helpful. The effort to reconnect all people is really great.
What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking about getting back into Tech?
Richard: The one thing I would say is, try not to be afraid of change, which of course is much easier said than done. The industry moves at a fast pace and so there is no shame in having to up-skill and re-learn, that is what programmes like Tech Returners are for — there are many people in a similar situation. If you have worked in tech in the past, in whatever capacity, you will have skills and behaviours that are sought after by employees.
Anna: It is possible if you find the right support for up-skilling and gaining confidence and an employer that understands the value of Tech Returners.
Adam: Take the dive if you enjoy it. It’s an amazing industry to get into at the moment, with plenty of opportunities and support. If it is something you enjoy then there is no reason not to. Find the thing you enjoy doing and do it
Sukirti: Don’t be afraid to take the first step. That is the most difficult thing — coming out of the daily routine and embracing the change! Set small goals and celebrate every milestone achieved. Take part in discussions, ask questions, take help and offer your help too! Collaborative work is knowledge multiplied! If you keep a growth mindset and work passionately towards your goal, you will certainly succeed.
Aisha: The decision to start a tech career after a long gap can be daunting because to be in the technology sector, you’ve got to learn and unlearn. You have to keep up-skilling and re-skilling yourself in new emerging technologies to stay relevant. The utmost important thing that you can do is to stay positive and be motivated. It’s really important to decide which tech-stack to choose. Different training sessions can help you a lot in understanding and practising new skills. Always remember that you will not understand everything at once, keep it slow but steady.
Marwa: Don’t overthink it . It is not a start from scratch. It is a way of redirecting towards your goals.
We are so pleased to see the cohort are enjoying their time with Holiday Extras and we hope they will continue to learn and develop with us long into the future. We are glad to have them as part of our team and really appreciate their contributions and hard work so far.
