'You Can’t Be What You Can’t See' with Liz Mirecki, Delivery Director at CGI

You don’t have to have it all figured out at 16

At 16, Liz didn’t know what she wanted to do. She was told that her skills aligned with becoming an administrator and that the expected route was sixth form, university and then a career. But that traditional path didn’t suit the way she learned.

 Liz found that she thrived through practical and hands-on experience. Getting stuck in and learning by doing. Advice for the next generation? Simple.

“Explore options that you think are not available to you!”

It’s a reminder that your first job or career doesn’t have to define where you end up. Don’t dismiss an opportunity because it doesn’t look like the obvious route into tech.

Look at the skills you already have and think about where they could take you. Communication, organisation, problem-solving, relationship building and project management are all valuable skills in tech, even if you don’t have a technical degree.

Your career can change direction

Liz spent years working in retail before moving into HR and then discovering project work. After 12 years with the same company, she took a major risk and left to work on a transformation programme at a debt charity. She describes the move as terrifying! She had left Bradford for Leeds, had no formal training in system analysis and was stepping into a role that felt really far outside her comfort zone. But she did it anyway.

That opportunity became the start of a completely different career. Today, Liz works in software delivery and leads large-scale programmes of work.

So, what’s the lesson? You don't always know where an opportunity will lead when you take it! Sometimes you have to step into something before you feel completely ready. If an opportunity interests you but feels slightly outside your comfort zone, don’t automatically rule yourself out. 

You don’t need to know exactly where the road ends before taking the first step. Just ask yourself.... What skills do I already have?  What would I need to learn? Who could help me learn it? What could this opportunity lead to?

Employers: look beyond the traditional CV

Liz’s career also raises an important question for employers. What talent might you be overlooking because someone doesn’t have the expected qualification or career history? Liz didn’t have a software degree. But she developed the skills to work alongside highly technical teams and manage complex programmes.

She describes having skills that allow her to operate in the technology space, even without formal technical training. That’s important when thinking about how organisations recruit and develop talent.

If every role requires the same qualifications, the same career history and the same experience, you risk looking for people who have already had access to those opportunities. And that can seriously narrow your talent pool.

Representation matters

Liz is currently the only female director in her business unit. And for her, having more women in senior positions isn’t about just ticking a diversity box. It’s about having different perspectives around the table. She believes that when teams are made up of people from the same demographic, there is a risk that the next generation will look the same too. That’s why Liz is passionate about helping other women progress.

Representation shouldn’t stop at getting more women through the door. Look at what happens afterwards. Who gets promoted? Who gets stretch opportunities? Who gets access to senior leaders? Who has someone advocating for them when promotion opportunities come up? Creating a more diverse workforce means creating the conditions for people to progress too.

You don’t need to know everything to belong in tech

Liz’s career demonstrates something important: you don’t need to know everything to have value. You need to understand enough to do your role well, know when to ask questions and be willing to keep learning.

Liz is now actively building her technical knowledge because she recognises that technology is changing and she doesn’t want to be left behind. Her approach isn’t about becoming an expert in everything. It’s about staying curious and continuing to learn.

There is no single timeline for building a career. You can change direction. You can learn as you go. You can start again. You can enter tech without a traditional technical background. And you can get somewhere you never imagined when you were 16. You just need to be able to see the possibilities.

That’s why representation matters.

Because sometimes seeing someone else do it is what makes you believe you can too. You Can’t Be What You Can’t See!

Check out the full interview here!