IT: Stephanie Rooney

Name: Stephanie Rooney

Job: Programmer

Employer: John Lewis Partnership

Area of work: Information technology (IT)

Qualifications: BSc computing, University of Gloucestershire

I chose to go into IT because it allowed me to start a career without limiting the industry I could work in. I went travelling before deciding on my career and chose IT because it gave me plenty of opportunity to travel on the job. I applied to my current employer through their graduate website and the selection process consisted of an interview and aptitude test.

My job

I am a support programmer, responsible for supporting the needs of IT systems users. My day typically starts at 8.30 am and finishes at about 5.00 pm, although my hours are sometimes dictated by business needs. My daily tasks include dealing with user enquiries and implementing adjustments to our internal systems to meet the changing demands of the users and the business itself. I am normally based in the office but I also visit our depots from time to time.

I enjoy dealing with the people using our IT systems because it keeps me in touch with the business side of things and makes me feel that I am part of a team, rather than just working with computers. I am sometimes required to do overnight support, a requirement of many IT jobs.

Seeing the results

A career in retail is fast-paced, competitive and tangible. I very rarely go home without feeling I have achieved something that can be directly related to the real world.