This article was originally published on 16 June 2023.
You can read the original article on the 6point6 website here.
Angela was shortlisted as a finalist in the 2023 Women in Tech Excellence Awards. In this blog, she shares her inspiring journey to becoming a Technical Architect, how she trusted her instincts to pivot after taking a career break and how 6point6 helped her make that switch.
What I do
I joined 6point6 as a Technical Architect having spent years recruiting for complex technology roles in the investment banking sector. After taking some time out to raise my young family, I wanted a new challenge. I’d always gravitated to technology, and realised that my career in talent acquisition had given me the perfect platform for a high-level understanding of solution and enterprise architecture - because I understood how people and technology worked together, end-to-end.
So I took the leap and retrained as an AWS Certified Solutions Architect. In May 2022, I joined 6point6 and began my structured journey through the Technical Architecture Academy, combining my newly-acquired architecture knowledge with past business consulting experience.
In my role, I work closely with Enterprise and Solution Architects to identify ways to improve our clients' systems and processes, helping them to overcome their operational challenges and meet business needs. This is where I draw on my communication skills, engaging with stakeholders across different areas and at all levels of the business to collaborate and embrace gradual change towards a common goal.
Since joining 6point6, I’ve had ample opportunities to combine my technology learning and my people skills to help achieve the best outcomes for our clients. What initially drew me to 6point6 was their comprehensive service provision in key trending areas of technology – but what excites me most about my role now is the opportunity to make a difference on public sector projects. There’s no ‘small cog in a big wheel’ syndrome here at 6point6. I know that my work makes a direct and positive impact.
A day in my working life
My work with clients is both interesting and varied - typically involving meeting with stakeholders, consolidating ideas or inputting to solution design. 6point6’s Technical Architecture Academy means we have dedicated time for learning and development, helping us to keep pace with technological change and stay ahead of developments across different cloud providers.
Employee Groups are also a big part of life at 6point6 and provide our people with the opportunity to get involved in the issues they care about. I’m a member of our Green Team, which promotes sustainability across our wider client and employee community. Last year, we signed the Climate Pledge and introduced more sustainable benefits, including an electric vehicle scheme - but we’re also continually on the lookout for smarter ways to create more efficient, sustainable IT.
Everyone here is united by an ambition to succeed together, and 6point6 has allowed me to find the right work balance for myself. That means being trusted to work independently, being recognised for my contribution to the company and being supported to pursue a successful career alongside managing my other responsibilities – including being a mum to three boys! This is a place that wants to create the best environment for everyone to achieve great things together, with a wide range of social value projects that enable us to bring our whole selves to work.
Career highlights
Pivoting into a new career later in life is high on my list of achievements. It was a bold move that came with lots of reflection and soul-searching. I realised that technology touches every aspect of our lives, and the industry needs a diverse mix of communicators, problem solvers, critical thinkers, and collaborators - so no matter your background, I believe there’s a role in tech for you. There are skills I honed within talent acquisition that I use daily as a technical architect - even being a parent has equipped me to juggle multiple commitments at once and communicate effectively to reach consensus!
6point6 is a great place for me to develop my technical architecture skills. When I first joined the business, I quickly grew to understand the importance of having a multi-cloud skillset to provide clients with unbiased, platform-agnostic solutions that best meet their needs. 6point6 has invested in my ability to add value to our clients by ring-fencing time to gain additional certifications to my growing technology toolkit.
Technical Architecture is one the best jobs in the world because…
For those interested in and curious about how technology delivers impactful business outcomes, technical architecture is an excellent role through which you engage and communicate with everyone across an organisation to design and build solutions as a team.
For anybody considering a career in technology, don't be put off by the perception that it’s all about hard coding, infrastructure, or complex systems and networks. There is so much more to discover, and as a technical architect, business or people skills are as crucial as a solid understanding of technology to help us shape better, more inclusive systems and services for everyone.
Angela Leung, Technical Architect at 6point6
As an AWS and MS Azure certified Technical Architect, Angela is an advocate for technology as an enabler of organisational change and is interested in how technology, skills development and sustainability will impact the future of the workplace. When she’s not working, Angela is kept busy with her three sons who push her limits at a range of indoor and outdoor sports from bouldering to rowing.
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