Kickstarting my career in tech with Grayce

Grayce’s IT Support Officer, Akvile Gasiunaite, shares her journey into tech through the Grayce ‘Women in Tech’ scholarship. 

Hi, I’m Akvile, and I’m from Lithuania. I moved to the UK, alone, almost 3 years ago, after completing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. I left my part-time job as a taxi driver, with the initial intention of coming to the UK to complete my master’s degree, however, due to the pandemic this was put on hold.  

Whilst in the UK, I developed my interests, participating in a charity boxing match and exploring my passion of coffee, which led to me winning a Barista Championship. I eventually got to a point where I felt like I hit a wall, I wanted a bit more of a challenge where I could develop myself continuously. 

Discovering a career in tech 

The drive for a challenge led me to an opportunity to try a 3-week development course. Whilst scrolling through Facebook, I saw a post offering a trial for coding, so I went for it. The course expanded my knowledge, and my interest towards programming started to grow. After completing the course, I got a call asking me if I would like to apply for the ‘Women in Tech’ scholarship with Grayce. This was a great opportunity to explore something deeply interesting to me – it was a no brainer! The next thing I knew, Grayce called me to let me know I was successful in my application – it was one of the best days of my life! 

Upskilling through the scholarship 

The scholarship was one of the most challenging but rewarding experiences I’ve experienced. I often pushed myself to the limits to make sure I excelled to the best of my ability, and when I achieved what I wanted, I felt like I was on cloud nine! I’ve had a deep dive into JavaScript, CSS, HTML, Netlify, SQL, MongoDB, and more. One of the most important parts was planning. I got familiar with Trello, Draw.io, GitHub, and Discord. My training and planning lead to my proudest moment, where I presented our final group project, in which we had created a website around coffee shops.  

Self-development  

The scholarship has made me realise what I am capable of, with the right resources you can achieve things you never dreamed of. I have more confidence in myself and want to continue to challenge myself even more through continuous learning and development. 

I’d like to share to others that you shouldn’t be scared to challenge yourself, as only then you will see your potential and what you are truly capable of. You shouldn’t ever think that it’s ‘not for you’ unless you try it first… it may be what you are searching for! 

Wraparound support & mentoring 

Throughout, I was mentored by Grayce’s Data and Technology Specialist, Roisin Wherry, and she was amazing! We had regular contact for one-to-one support, and the reassurance and guidance given ensured I was on track and could tackle any challenges I came across. Through the support and mentoring Grayce provided me with, I received exceptional feedback and felt prepared going into my interview with Grayce. Knowing you have a guaranteed interview with Grayce throughout the scholarship motivates you to go above and beyond. The opportunity to kickstart your career isn’t one to waste. It is an amazing opportunity that has changed my life and the support given ensured I could relax and just be myself in the interview and now in my role at Grayce.