115: Balancing Tech Careers and Personal Growth ft Safiya Rozi

This week's episode is with Safiya Rozi. As a software developer degree apprentice and content creator, Safiya shares her approach to juggling a demanding workload through prioritisation and planning. She also discusses her experience as a degree apprentice and how she's navigated the corporate world, especially with her finances. This episode also touches on wardrobe building, where Sophia emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity. Learn how to build a sustainable wardrobe while managing finances, and get budgeting tips highlighting investing in skill-building, self-care, and celebrating achievements. 

FOLLOW SAFIYA:

• Instagram - www.instagram.com/safiyarozi/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@safiyarozi?_t=8plrZy72dYe&_r=1

Chapters

• 0:00 Alternative Routes to University and Career
• 11:12 Personal Finance and Wardrobe Building
• 16:32 Defining Moments in a Journey

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey guys and welcome back to the Penny Sipans podcast with your host, kia, and this is a podcast where we aim to dispel your myths, simplify difficult financial jargon and rectify your own personal problems. Happy Monday, everyone. I hope you've had an amazing weekend and, as always, I am back with an amazing episode. But before that, if you haven't listened to the last episode, the last one was all about the FSCS and what that means for you and your money, so make sure you go and check it out, because everyone's protected, but do you know what that protection means for you? But for this episode, we're talking about alternative routes to university. Now, if you know me, you know that I love talking about this, because I wasn't told about different routes when it comes to finding a job. I was just told you know, you get your good grades, you go to university and that's it. However, the person that I have on today is doing incredibly well and sharing their success and journey online.

Speaker 2: 0:51

So we're going to delve deeper into that. But before we get into it, guest, who are you? I'm Sophia Rosie. I'm a software developer degree apprentice and a content creator.

Speaker 1: 0:56

This is something I'm really excited to talk about because, like I mentioned, university was all that was told to me. That's all I heard about was just go to university, go to a good one and just figure it out from there. So what made you choose the degree apprenticeship route over just going to university like most students?

Speaker 2: 1:14

I think the main thing was for me was that during year 13, I worked as well, so I knew what it was like to kind of delegate between my studies and work. But the main thing for me was that when I went to work it felt like, oh, I have to go to work and it was because it didn't really align and it was something completely different. So for me, yeah, the fact that going into a degree, apprenticeship, you have those two aligned was the best part for me. You can kind of see where it benefits from the university side. Work will kind of help impact that, and then on the other side of things, your university will help impact your work and your progression in that sense as well.

Speaker 1: 1:46

I think it's great and I've been loving watching your journey online thank you, I've honestly loved it because I'm like this looks amazing and I think you're inspiring a lot of people to kind of look into alternative routes. But naturally your route comes with a different set of challenges because you are, like you said, balancing, working alongside studying. So what have you kind of faced? Having to balance the two. The thing is.

Speaker 2: 2:09

I'm not really good with the word balance. I feel like it's very unrealistic for me in the sense that I feel like whenever I've really succeeded at something, it's come almost at the expense of something else, or like having to sacrifice something else. So it doesn't have to be a big sacrifice for me. It could be something like I have a very demanding module, so I also have work, so I can't go to the gym this week, like small kind of things like that. But in general, I'd say a main thing for me would be prioritization. So kind of like our working quarters, I'll sit down with a little pen and paper, I'll write down everything that I have coming up for that quarter and I'll rank it in terms of priority and then I'll also rank it in terms of difficulty and then what will tend to happen will be what is the most important, for that quarter will be the most difficult, and that will be my starting point. So that's the key thing that I like to do.

Speaker 2: 2:55

Um, other than that, I think communication is a big one. When it comes to degree apprentices, I think the saying something like communication, lack of communication, is a lack of performance, and I didn't understand that at the start. So the first year was kind of like a whole situation for me. But yeah, understanding when to communicate that you're having a demanding module to your work can do a lot to kind of offload the amount that you have to do. And it kind of just expresses your manager that you don't have bandwidth that month, or it just communicates from very early on that you might have to take a bit longer to produce these deliverables and so forth. And then just a classic one I'm very pen and paper, so planner planner.

Speaker 1: 3:33

I love a good planner. Get a planner I love. Have you got favorite?

Speaker 2: 3:37

no, actually, but it's just nice and chunky, as cute as well. So I don't feel embarrassed to carry it around like, and then it's like you're just putting jot down little things that come up in meetings and it's just good for you to be mindful as to what you have to expect and what's coming up, and that helps me a lot.

Speaker 1: 3:51

I love that and especially I love the way that you said you break everything down into quarters and what you do is a hard thing for most people.

Speaker 2: 4:05

I'm kind of adjusting myself as well is tackling the difficult thing first. I think a lot of people face procrastination you don't want to do it. You don't want to do it in reality, you don't. It's not exciting, it's not fun, it's difficult for a reason.

Speaker 1: 4:11

You don't want to do it yeah, but I think it's a smart way that you say you just do that first, just get it out of the way, because the things that are quicker or you maybe find more interesting you can do afterwards, but you just get the hardest thing out of the way. So I love that. How did you choose what industry to go in there? Because I know that there are a wider range of industries that offer degree apprenticeships. So how did you choose yours?

Speaker 2: 4:30

so I chose tech, so I didn't give context.

Speaker 2: 4:32

Actually I work at a global investment bank, but within the technology sector, under global markets, under processing automation oh, wow so I'm basically everything to do with automating manual, tedious processes within the bank to make a lot of our parallel lines of business just more efficient in many ways. So we sit horizontally across the bottom. Um. But the reason why I decided to go into tech, the main thing is obviously, I feel like tech is just a big part of us now, everything since and past the pandemic, um, but originally I didn't even want to do back-end, so I do backend coding at the minute.

Speaker 2: 5:05

I wanted to do more front end, which allows a bit more creativity, because I had quite a creative background. Um, but yeah, the reason why I wanted to go into tech was just a lot of experimentation. I did STEM subjects during A-levels as well, so I did physics, chemistry and maths and I wanted to go down the route of engineering, but I didn't know what type of engineering. So I just did a bit of research and came across software engineering and that's how I ended up down that kind of tech route that's really smart, but I think tech is booming so much right now.

Speaker 1: 5:35

There is so much demand for technology roles, so you've definitely made a good decision. In terms of the skills that you've acquired, then, how would you say that your degree apprenticeship has benefited you in your personal development? Because I think we talk a lot about professional skills and we will come on to that, but personally, do you think it's had an impact on you and helped you in your personal?

Speaker 2: 5:54

development Majorly majorly, I think. Obviously, from starting. I started from the age of 19. I'm now going on to 22, almost 23 it's, it's the biggest part where you're really transitioning into not only maturing as an individual but in maturing as a woman for me as well, so that was a big thing. And being in these environments where you're going from such a culture shift from being chilling at lunchtime talking about what's on the for you page and all sorts and then going to speaking about oh you're hearing conversations about, oh I'm going to take my wife here for anniversary.

Speaker 2: 6:25

We're going to do this with the kids. It's such a big culture shift but being able to navigate those conversations is a big thing that I've grown in confidence to kind of carry those conversations as well, which are things you would think would come naturally to you.

Speaker 1: 6:36

But I don't really do that. I think confidence is something that is definitely built and you have to learn upon, and, in fact, you've done it so young like I know. I started my business at 21 and I definitely was not very confident to go and speak to people who are older than me, who I felt like were more established than me, but that is a major skill to learn from very young, especially in your apprenticeship, because it's crazy, it is mad, though. How have you found it being young in the workplace?

Speaker 2: 7:05

I mean at first just very daunting as an as anything is. Any type of change is does come with its kind of difficulties. You are scared, but I think we just with time you kind of grow, you get more comfortable when you start to learn where you know downstairs is where the canteen is you? Know, when you know your way around, you naturally get comfortable and you, you kind of adapt to your environment what about you being a woman then as well, because I think tech is still very male dominated.

Speaker 1: 7:30

I love the fact we've got social media, because we see a lot more women. However, it can kind of skew your judgment on it, because I think that there's tons of women in tech, but then when you look at the stats, you're like oh, no, that's the thing.

Speaker 2: 7:40

When I started, I also had the um, the idea that there wasn't, it wasn't a female dominant field and it's not, still isn't. But then, when I came online and started doing content creation, that's when I was like um, excuse me, women in tech, girls, girls who- come.

Speaker 2: 7:54

But all sorts of different communities and women really thriving in the industry. But within the actual workplace, if I'm being honest, I would tend to be either one or two people in my team. That is a woman, which isn't a problem, but it's like there's still a gap. There's still a lot of growing and work to be done and especially being in a finance setting to start like naturally it's going to be male dominated, so it's been difficult. But then again, it's like with everything, if you give it time, you put the effort in and you just continue to show up, and a lot of the time it's like in your own mind you have your own preconception as to how something will be. So if you look past that and give it an opportunity, you'll be okay and ask questions, ask questions and ask questions to the women as well.

Speaker 2: 8:38

I think I made it very clear very early on that I wanted to have more of a female representative to look up to because I would see, like the women around the office, I think, oh, class grown amazing. And I've been thinking what do you do? I've not seen you before, what department are you in? So it's just going up to them and just can we grab a coffee like that, Like that generic corporate. Can we grab a coffee? I?

Speaker 2: 8:55

love that line, I don't drink coffee, but let's grab a coffee.

Speaker 1: 8:57

I love that line so much.

Speaker 2: 8:58

Yeah. So my thing would be just go out there, put yourself out there and ask If you want a female mentor or someone to look up to do it. The least they could do is say no or pass you on to somebody else, but it will still be. That's what I would do.

Speaker 1: 9:11

Absolutely. I love that. I want to come on to you, then, as a person, because I was on Pinterest the other day. Stick with me. I was on Pinterest the other day and obviously I'm aware of you and your content. I was on Pinterest the other day and I was looking through stuff I love fashion and you came up.

Speaker 2: 9:28

right yeah, Under me or under somebody else, not under someone else.

Speaker 1: 9:31

It wasn't you. It wasn't you. I checked it wasn't you, but you came up and it was people who had screenshotted your tiktoks and put up your style oh, I'm interested.

Speaker 1: 9:39

Yeah, I know, I'm filling you in, I'm filling you in, you're you're doing well on pinterest. It might not be you, but you're doing well on it and I've I've seen that a lot of people have commented on your style. So how have you found it kind of building up that professional style for yourself, because I think you, you look amazing when you go to work and I know a lot of women probably want to do the same um.

Speaker 2: 9:59

I mean initially same as everything.

Speaker 2: 10:01

I was coming from six forms, so I had that still kind of childish mentality with how I was dressing.

Speaker 2: 10:07

And then it was only when I'd started to realize I'm not really comfortable, I don't feel confident when I'm in the office and when I look up to the other women in the office I would would see they're just very, very confident in the way they walk and a lot of that, I felt like, had to do with the way they dress and carried themselves.

Speaker 2: 10:21

So my first thing was I made a commitment to myself I will always look presentable in this office. I will never let myself go in an office, especially when we have work from home days. I just feel like that is something I'm not letting go. So that was my first thing. And then just literally having a hard look and scrutinizing my own wardrobe and starting from there, and then when I started to care a bit more about how I was kind of showing myself up in that office, it was like it all translated in my confidence and how I'd be a bit more outspoken in meetings or I would be more willing to be around the office because I felt like I was dressed apart and all that type of stuff kind of fell into place.

Speaker 1: 10:56

I love that. I think it is so important and it does kind of factor into how you feel and how you carry yourself 100%. But I think a lot of people I see online want to dress a certain type of way. You know, they want to kind of give that that aura. But I feel like it's going to come with a hefty price tag. So how have you found it, kind of building up that wardrobe for yourself?

Speaker 2: 11:15

I would say I see I couldn't really justify that one, because my thing is definitely quality over quantity. I feel like if you just put the time I mean the money aside and invest in it, one quality t-shirt will carry you four years over a t-shirt that's going to literally combust in like two seconds. So yeah, I would say with that, be very mindful obviously at the start and just have the stable pieces. It doesn't mean you need to go from zero to 100 and have five different suits and all different skirts and have one straight leg trouser, one normal trouser, one blazer, one fitted just a small little bit and then start to progressively increase as you go through it, as you get more of your salary pay as you go through it. It doesn't have to be all or nothing like. Think of it as more gradual and you're grateful.

Speaker 1: 11:56

Yeah, that's really good. Slowly build up, because I think people think I've got to throw everything out and start again and do like a massive haul right now and that's gonna.

Speaker 2: 12:03

That will have a hair it does, it does make you feel good it does.

Speaker 1: 12:06

It does it's not good? No, it's not, it's not, but it does it in moderation in moderation on the topic of finances, then you've obviously had to come and manage your own finances, because you are earning as well as studying. So how have you found managing your finances, and is there anything that you kind of learned being in this corporate world when it comes to your finances?

Speaker 2: 12:26

I've gone quite for a journey with my finances. From the very beginning, I had a very unhealthy relationship with my finances and not in the way that you would think, where you know you would go out and splurge because now you've got all this money and you're going from like like small, small pay to something like big. In the time it was like I had a very unhealthy attachment to my money. So I translated having money in my account as to security and like feeling safe and I don't know where that came from, probably like growing up traumas or whatnot.

Speaker 2: 12:56

But I had that mentality for a long time so I wouldn't treat myself to anything really. It would be very much living across what I needed, the essentials to get by. So I had that for a long time and then it was only once. I just felt really burnt out one day and I thought I do all of this, all of this, all of this, and I don't ever enjoy what I've worked hard for. So from that it was like I started to sit down, I started to budget more.

Speaker 2: 13:21

I do like I just generally every time I'll get a salary, I'll just kind of section off, like my commitment, so gym, insurance bills, phone bill, all that type of stuff. And then from that it would be like I'd percentage out everything and I think it's. I have a travel fund now. I didn't have that first and because, as women as well, we know that the actual trip can be just as much as the prep, so like 100%, so much. So you need a travel fund. 100%, that's one thing. Then I have my spending, just my general, like give myself some some grace. Um, groceries and what else do I have? Oh, and then savings.

Speaker 1: 14:02

I love that kind of what I percentage off the rest yeah, I think that's so good and so important to have that from early. I always talk about it. It's important to build up healthy money habits from early because a lot of people will tell me you know, when I earn more money when I do this, I will have more to do that. But if you haven't learned that from early basics, you would. It will never translate. It will never, ever translate. So it's great to hear how you would manage your money. So I'm going to put you on the spot here. What would be your three non-negotiables when it comes to your money and your finances? So it could be things you want to spend on. It could be how you budget your money, how you section off, like you mentioned. But what your three non-negotiables?

Speaker 2: 14:37

my three non-negotiables. It would be probably my investments and when I say investments, very early on I didn't really invest in things like um stocks and shares and stuff like that. I mean more like coding courses. I would heavily invest in coding courses to just really grow my skills, because they weren't there so it was like it was needed. So investment into things like that that are going to better my skills. Editing as well was one thing I very picky I can't outsource. I've got to do it myself.

Speaker 2: 15:02

You do it all yourself. I've got to do it myself, so I had to like just hone in on how to get this editing right, because I'm very picky. So investments, in that sense I would say maintenance, you know, because as a woman it's got to be done and it's think, like I said, it translates.

Speaker 2: 15:23

It gives you more confidence to be in the office to do this, to go out with your friends. It really does help. Giving giving back no, not necessarily giving back, that makes me look bad, but no, no, I'm wondering what you mean by giving back, but also just celebrating my friends and family.

Speaker 2: 15:34

That's still giving back yeah, okay, a form of giving back yeah, I feel like that was something I wasn't great at before and that's something I'm trying to really do better at as well. So what does that look like for you? So that's like if your friends passed their driving test, celebrating that, if your sister my sister got a new car recently, celebrating that. Just the little, little little things here and there. I think like I can't. I can't let that slide.

Speaker 1: 16:05

I think that is so key because I think sometimes we focus on the big things, like your birthday or a big milestone, but sometimes the small milestones matter.

Speaker 2: 16:08

Yeah, they really do. My friend got a new car, and then one of my other friends hosted like a whole get together just to celebrate her getting a new car. I love it, though, because it feels so ridiculous, but it's so great at the same time.

Speaker 1: 16:11

Yeah, because it's a milestone.

Speaker 2: 16:12

It's their moment and I feel like it's so important to not look and hone in on yourself too much and think about other people, like what they might not think is a big celebration. You need to let them know. No, babe, that is a good achievement. You need to be celebrating that 100%.

Speaker 1: 16:24

That's something I started doing. Anytime my friends tell me they've got a new job, I'm like right, so when are we going out?

Speaker 2: 16:28

when are we gonna go? And?

Speaker 1: 16:29

get lunch just to celebrate because it's nice. It's really really nice. Okay, you have shared so much in terms of your journey. What, what's one crucial moment that you say really defined your journey so far? Because I know you're still obviously in your degree apprenticeship- I would say OK, maybe across the both.

Speaker 2: 16:46

It would be when I was reached out to by the Department of Education to create some content with them and kind of collaborate with them on one of their campaigns that they had dropping, and for me it was like I do all of this to help students and help people understand that one. There's an unconventional route to get into the job and the role you want to be at and obviously empower women to show up as themselves in the high women and sales. But the baseline of it is to educate people on what you can do and how you can get there, because I didn't get that the conventional route, so it was like to be recognized by the actual department of education was like okay, I'm doing something right it's good little thumbs up, good partner back.

Speaker 2: 17:25

Yeah, it was like okay cool, I appreciate. It was like a combination of two. It was like the recognition for doing what I'm doing and for sharing about it and creating content based on it was like the best of both worlds that's lovely.

Speaker 1: 17:37

I think, yeah, that that recognition really does kind of keep you going, because, as you know, content creation can be a lonely journey. You're just posting into the ether and even if you get comments, they're nice. You kind of feel like, does anyone really take any value from what I'm sharing? No, that must have been a really nice moment for you, which I love. So before we wrap up, I want to ask you what are your top three tips, either to anyone who wants to get a degree, apprenticeship, or anyone looking to get into tech, or make sure to do one.

Speaker 2: 18:01

I would say, first thing, if you're looking to get into a degree apprenticeship, nowadays they're just, they're very much on the rise, they're very competitive, but don't let that discourage you. I'd say the first thing is the second thing I'd say is a bit controversial, but I always say quality over quantity, especially with your applications. The difference between your degree apprenticeship application is that it's company specific, so that company, one investment bank, is going to have a completely different recruitment process to another investment bank. It's not the same as UCAS, where you can submit that same statement to all five universities. So you have to be very vigilant of that and make sure you're adapting your applications per company, which makes it more tedious, which is why I always say quality over quantity. Because you can send 100 applications. You won't hear back if they don't. If they haven't been an ounce of ambiguity, no one cares like you need to make sure it's some somewhat specific, make sure you don't skip the basics.

Speaker 2: 18:53

So for me, when I'd obviously started, I came with no technical background, but oh, I didn't even mention so.

Speaker 2: 18:58

My university provider is strictly degree apprentices. So everyone in my cohort is in the same position they work and they do uni at the same time, whereas with some other programs it's an actual university provider, so it could be Kent University or Queen Mary's, so it's like they have more of a university feel to things. So for me, I felt like I was in an environment where everyone literally just knew what they were doing and I felt like I was the only one that was lost and confused. And it's very, very intimidating when you're surrounded with people that have x amount of experience when you don't and you feel like you're behind and you just started like it was probably module one and I was sitting there like I have no idea what's going on and that was because I skipped the basics to try and feel like I was up to speed with everybody else. Biggest mistake Go back to the basics If you don't understand. Take the time to understand, stay back, put in the effort now and it will do you so much justice in the future.

Speaker 1: 19:49

Oh, that is amazing. What a good one to end on. That's a really good tip. Thank you so much for coming onto the podcast For everyone listening and watching where can they find you?

Speaker 2: 19:58

you can find me on all my social media platforms. That'll be tiktok, instagram, now youtube, um, maybe pinterest, now that you mention it I think you need to take back control, because people are posting your stuff. You need to post it first but yeah, on all those platforms it will be sophia rosie amazing.

Speaker 1: 20:12

Thank you so so much and to everyone listening and watching, we'll be back again next week with another episode. Bye guys.