Women in Tech Week - Lily Gaunt on Roblox, real-world code and building cool things

For Women in Tech Week, we are taking the time to celebrate some of the amazing women working here at Rapita. In this interview series, we will discuss why they love working in technology, what drives them, and the challenges they have faced along the way.

In this blog we will be talking to Lily Gaunt, Software Engineer and year in industry student, about how her love of video games sparked her interest in tech, why she's never felt out of place as a woman in tech and her advice for young women starting out .

What first sparked your interest in tech?
Made some little Roblox games by piecing bits of code together from other games when I was young. Also loved playing video games.

How long have you worked in the Technology industry? 
Im a uni student in 3rd year, but have been interested in tech since a young age. I’ve been at Rapita for almost 4 months now.

Was there a person who influenced your path?
My GCSE and A Level CS teacher was probably the reason I’ve carried on and found my love for it properly.

What is your favourite part of working in tech?
As a placement student, it's very cool to me that I'm writing code, showing people what it does, and knowing that what I'm doing is solving real problems the company faces!

How would you describe your job in three words?
Build cool things.

What skills do you use most in your role?
Problem-solving, and communicating with people about their ideas and requirements.

Have you faced any challenges as a woman in tech?
Actually, have been around more women than most probably, my A level class was 50% girls, so I haven’t ever felt out of place. I’m glad it was the case.

Which project are you most proud of and why?
That's a difficult question to answer because I've genuinely enjoyed most of the work I've done throughout my career. Rather than one specific project, what makes me most proud is the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful outcomes. I'm someone who gets a real sense of satisfaction from learning something new and making progress every day. Whether it's solving a problem, improving a process, or developing a new skill, those achievements are what I find most rewarding. Looking back, I'm proud of how much I've learned and how I've continued to grow throughout my career.

What advice would you give to a young woman considering a career in tech? 
I don’t have much experience but I’ve found that it’s good to keep your own tech interests up in your own time even though your job means full time tech!

What do you think would encourage more women into tech?
I think the best motivator is being genuinely interested in something, e.g. I started with little roblox games and have leened more into programming. 

Thank you to Lily for sharing your story.

Want to read more? Check out the rest of our Women in Tech Week interviews.