Week 25 of 52 — Women in Tech Series
Welcome to our Women in Tech series. Over the next 52 weeks, we’ll spotlight inspiring women shaping the technology industry — sharing their stories, achievements, and insights.
From founders and engineers to designers, researchers, and community leaders, this series celebrates the diverse voices driving innovation and building the future of tech.
Zoe Thexton
Full Stack Engineer at Hertility
How did you first get into tech/innovation?
I really loved DT, maths and physics at school, which led me to study Mechanical Engineering at university. After graduating, I worked as a mechanical engineer at several start-ups, and then during the pandemic I retrained as a software engineer.
What did your career path look like before landing your current role?
Before moving into women’s health, I worked in a range of different technical roles – from managing production at a chocolate company, to building 3D printed bionic arms, supporting businesses at WordPress agencies and building software to help farmers manage their livestock.
What does your role involve day-to-day?
I usually work 8am – 5pm. I’ll catch up with messages and plan for the day when I log on, then join our daily team stand-up where we discuss what we’re working on and any issues that are blocking us. I’ll then spend the rest of the day working on tickets that have been assigned to me – these can be anything from bugs, requests from the wider team, new features for our products.
What challenges have you faced working in tech, and how did you overcome them?
Definitely imposter syndrome – it’s something I’ve struggled with at university, in my engineering jobs and especially in my software jobs. Since retraining, all of my jobs have been mainly remote – while I really like the remote working lifestyle, a downside is that it’s easy to get stuck in your own head when you’re facing a problem without colleagues physically around you to vent to or ask for help. One thing that I have found really helpful in these situations is reflecting on how far I’ve come in my software career, instead of fixating on what I’m stuck on. I’ll write down something I struggled with a couple of months ago but now find easy. It’s a great reminder to focus on the progress I’ve made and the skills I’ve built over time, rather than the challenges I’m currently facing.
Was there a moment or opportunity that helped you break into the industry?
My engineering career started when I met one of the founders of Open Bionics, a Bristol-based startup that uses 3D printing to create prosthetic arms. He was giving a lecture at my university, and at the end of his talk he asked if anyone had any questions – I stuck up my hand and asked if I could have a job! I completed an internship with them after I graduated in 2016 and later returned to work for them for nearly four years in various engineering roles.
What advice would you give to women who want to work in tech or innovation?
Work out what you’re passionate about.
Sometimes working in jobs that you don’t like can be just as valuable as working in jobs you enjoy, because it helps you work out what you don’t want to do. Then when you have that dream job or sector in mind, work backwards and break it down into small manageable steps. What skills do you need for that role? What experience would be helpful?
Once you’ve broken down what might feel like an impossible goal into smaller actionable chunks, you can start working towards achieving it in little ways every day – small, consistent progress adds up over time.
What do you love about working in the South West tech ecosystem?
There’s always new and interesting companies popping up, and a real sense of community. It feels like a vibrant and exciting place to be working in the tech industry.
Connect with Zoe!
Follow Zoe’s journey and connect with her on LinkedIn here
