Sally Emerson

Graduated with Mathematics with Study Abroad MSci 2019

Current role

Software Engineer, Enode

Please tell us a bit about your career path since graduating from the University.

When I graduated, I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do.

I landed a place on a graduate scheme in finance—working as a business analyst in the technology department. Pretty quickly, I realised that software engineering seemed much more exciting than business analysis. I was fortunate to find a team willing to take a chance on someone with no experience, and I soon caught up and got hooked on engineering.

I also realised not long after graduating that it was really important for me to work somewhere with a mission I believed in. After a few years in finance to get the experience, I moved into climate tech while staying in software engineering. Working on technology that helps tackle the climate crisis is both interesting and meaningful, and I feel really lucky to be doing it.

Please tell us about your current job role.

I work as a software engineer, which basically means solving real-world problems by designing and building software. Writing code is an important part of the job, but the bit I enjoy most is the problem-solving before you even get to the coding stage.

Right now, my work focuses on building an API that can control electric vehicles and other devices. This allows businesses like energy retailers to optimise energy use—for the benefit of both end users (the electric vehicle drivers) and the electricity grid.

What one piece of advice would you give our current students regarding employability?

Maths is a great degree because it can take you in lots of different directions. Some of my friends ended up in very different roles from their first jobs after uni, so don’t be discouraged if your career path isn’t exactly what you expected at first. Keep an open mind, apply for things that interest you, and chat to people in different fields—you never know what might click.