Digital consultant Tessa May has always had a passion for maths and logic. It led her to a mathematics degree at Warwick University and then into teacher training. But she quickly realised that teaching wasn’t for her and began to look around for a new career.

Her search led her to a career in digital, and she found Answer, a digital engineering and IT consultancy based in Leeds.

After a technical test, Tessa was offered a place in Answer’s Academy, which provides training and support to help people into digital jobs. After 12 weeks, Tessa had learned back and front end development and was placed on her first project. After three and a half years, her career has grown, and she is a technical consultant overseeing large projects for the NHS, amongst other customers.

Tessa says that she finds the work challenging and rewarding with projects including a national record locator, which will help to make patient data more accessible across the NHS. In her role as a consultant, she manages complex projects across a wide range of skills to tight deadlines.

The work is intense, but there is a real sense of team at Answer, and Tessa says that there is always support there when you need it. Her career has developed as opportunities are always available to develop her skills and support her goals.

As an employee-owned business, Tessa feels she has a say in the company’s future, as the company has launched a number of initiatives led by employees over the last year. This includes the ‘career ladders’, which is a structure that gives everyone in the business clarity on where they are on their career path and sets out guidelines for objectives to reach the next role.

Tessa concludes:

"The possibilities at Answer are endless. There are so many different projects and technologies to work with that the learning never stops. The support is second to none, and I don’t think my career would have moved as quickly elsewhere. It’s important to bring people from diverse backgrounds into the tech sector, and Answer’s approach is one that helps people develop from whatever their previous role or education."