Software Tester
Jennifer's job title is Associate Test Engineer at McLaren Applied
The company name McLaren Applied is key to what my role involves – the technology developed for Formula One is now being applied in different sectors. I’m currently working on a new train project using the knowledge gleaned from the motorsport industry. This involves data analysis and testing hardware and software. Part of my job is to break things and ask the developers to come up with a way to fix them!
Hear more about Jennifer's role by watching the video below...
At school, I studied English, science, maths, history, IT and drama – although I was most interested in IT. At college, I was the only female in my class of 26. Knowing that only 19% of girls in school do tech has pushed me to inspire others. Too often girls don’t feel confident to say they want to pursue a career in tech, and I want to show them it’s a great career option. Before joining McLaren Applied, I completed a four-year apprenticeship at Visa, working full-time and studying. I saw the role at McLaren Applied advertised on LinkedIn and was offered support by the team from my first enquiry.
I have joined a STEM group in McLaren Applied, where I have collaborated with others to see how we can encourage young people, not just women, to get involved. There is also a women’s network across the McLaren Brand called Driven Women - it’s a way to promote the work of women within the workforce.
I like that there is constant team collaboration. Developers do their testing before they hand it to us. We then retest it to ensure that all the checks are complete and if we can replicate problems.
I recently took ownership of the circuit boards within the active antennas. I had to run a series of tests on ten boards, including testing the LED lights. After each board, I noted the tests I had completed before moving on to the next. This was a confidence boost, as it reassured me that I knew what I was doing, and if I hit a problem, I would reflect and ask for support if I needed it.
I'd like to work my way to a senior role. My dream is to manage a technical team.
See Jennifer in the Technicians: We Make the Difference cinema advert
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