Meet Esther Ogunmefun

Even though I work quite independently, I’m never on my own. In my team there are two other Android developers. We split new projects, plan who does what and help each other. Every Friday all Android developers have a meeting to share what we’re building and raise and issues we’re having. We talk about what we’ve learnt, better ways to code, how to fix incidents and how to make things faster. It’s a supportive community, and it means changes that affect the whole app are agreed together and rolled out smoothly.

AI (artificial intelligence) assistants. My company encourages us to use tools like Gemini and Copilot inside our coding software. They can read my code, suggest improvements and even autocomplete what I’m about to write. It’s like having a helpful pair of eyes that spots patterns and offers ideas on the spot. Before this I would search the web for ages to find an answer. Now I press a button and get useful suggestions that speed up my work and help me learn new techniques.

I love painting, especially paint by numbers. It’s relaxing because the choices are simple but the result looks great. After a week of problem solving, it’s nice to switch off, focus on filling in the spaces and watch a picture appear bit by bit. It’s creative without pressure, and it gives me a finished piece I can be proud of.

For A-levels, I studied biology, chemistry, maths, further maths and economics. I was on a maths path and thought I would go into finance. I didn’t know about software engineering then but found the logic and analytical skills I learned at school translated really well into coding.

I won an award for being on the Top 20 Women in Software Power List, in 2021. It was my first award, which made it special. I got the award because I wanted more young people to know about software development careers, so while I was an apprentice I started a YouTube channel, gave webinars and talks, and did mentoring. Getting recognised showed me you can make a difference early on. You don’t have to be the most experienced person in your job to make a positive impact, especially if you care about diversity and helping others.

I’m a mid-level software developer now and I want to step up to senior. In my company the work is similar, but as a senior developer I would take on more accountability and support others more. I’m keen to mentor newer developers and help the team grow.

Don’t stress about having every step planned. Try things, see what you like and what you don’t like, and don’t feel bad if your interests change. You will find a path that suits you. Stay curious, look for practical routes like apprenticeships and keep going even when it feels new or scary. That’s how you discover what fits you best.