I read Music at King's College London, but ended up as an IT consultant, often in a particularly technical role. After a gap year I took a one-year conversion Masters degree in Computer Science at University College London.

My first job was writing web-based healthcare software. I learned a lot but quickly found the single role of “software developer” stifling. Moving to a consultancy like CHP, with its variety, small company feel and smart workforce, was just what I was looking for.

Right from the start there was plenty of room for initiative and creativity, backed up by a structured two-year training programme that provided all the support I needed. I worked on CHP’s first web project and, while I have stuck at projects with a web element since then, my roles have been varied and demanded ever-increasing involvement with and responsibility for requirements gathering, software architecture, development processes, people and, ultimately, functional delivery.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to spend over a year working with CHP’s US company based in Providence, RI, and working up and down the East coast. While in the US I attended one of the world’s biggest technical conferences - JavaOne, in San Francisco - for two years running.

With clients throughout Europe, the US and Australia, CHP certainly offers plenty of opportunity for travel. Since returning from the US I have spent time in the Baltic states doing workshops to gather and refine client requirements as part of pan-European project.

Why have I stayed with CHP for over four years now, and why do I look forward to many more? The flexibility demanded by the variety of roles keeps me on my toes constantly, and the people I work with are happy, helpful, smart and sociable. I have made some good friends here.