Jennifer Smith

Software Engineer, Cogent

Melbourne

I started programming computers at eight years old on the Spectrum 128k my parents bought me for Christmas. I stopped when this machine was superseded by a Mega Drive that, while technically superior in many ways, had no built-in programming environment.

I picked up the habit accidentally again at 19 as part of my university course and took to it like a duck to a compiler. I realised I was happiest when I was reading code, understanding how it fits it together and writing it for myself.

As a software developer, I've been lucky enough to maintain this enthusiasm through a wide range of software development, from web development to infrastructure automation and data engineering. Though environments and circumstances change, core principles remain constant: understanding how systems fit together and how to change them and grow them.