Can we get an introduction to yourself, and your role at Sky?

My name is Catriona MacLellan. I work as an Automation Tester for our end-to-end test team, and I’m based at Watermark, Livingston.

We help make sure that with any new features that we deliver; nothing is broken for the user, it all works as expected, and that no issues would arise in the full journey from start to finish.

How important is Automation Testing at Sky?

We’ve got a lot of testing that we need to do before we deliver a new feature, and it can be very time-consuming to do that process manually. We’re able to write code and run scripts, that will take the pressure off manual testing – which means that we can check that our platforms are stable.

We try to catch those issues early on so it doesn’t impact the Contact Centre Agents and Engineers, and therefore avoids any impact to the customer.

What have been the most exciting projects you’ve worked on at Sky?

My first project that I was on was for Sky Mobile; making sure that existing features were still working correctly for the Contact Centre agents, so that they could continue to sell those products for customers.

I then moved to Sky Connect, which was really exciting because it was a couple of months before it launched. It was really exciting to be a part of something new that was just about to go out.

Not long after I joined Sky, I was part of a short video tech challenge for schools, so encouraging them to think about the environment and passing on plastic; it was all about saving the ocean.

That was a really nice introduction into tech, which gave me the confidence to be able to apply for the job that I have now.

What decisions led to you joining Sky?

I had graduated university and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and then I got interested in coding. After reading some stuff on LinkedIn, I just stumbled upon that Sky were offering a course aimed at Women who were either wanting to change their careers into tech, or completely starting fresh like myself!

What training and support is available for you in your role at Sky?

There are lots of training opportunities that we may take advantage of.

I’ve been able to do two day courses here and there, and we’ve also got free access to LinkedIn learning, which has been very helpful especially to someone totally new to tech. I used that a lot at the start!

I’ve never been afraid to go to any Manager with any issues, and they’ve always been very supportive. There’s also a lot of employee networks like WomenInTech, little Code Clubs that run as well, so being able to take part in them is great.

It feels like a very inclusive environment. And there’s lots of things about mental health that get communicated a lot through the various comms. When you suggest some things, and they go “Oh, that’s a good point.” and some things have been actioned.

We’re always encouraged to try different tools, to be able to make things more simple. You’re listened to and there’s no fear of speaking up, during meetings or things like that.

What’s the best benefit of working for Sky?

The best benefit is probably Sky TV, which might be a common answer! I also have discounted broadband, which is great, especially working from home, working hybrid. And then things like the share scheme as well, I think that’s a really great thing to just be able to have the opportunity to be able to do.