Meet Kayta Hackman Riley
Software Engineer
About Kayta
Kayta Hackman Riley started her career in marketing, working in London and Melbourne. She loved the creativity of her work but always found herself asking, “How does this actually work?” That curiosity led her to start learning how to code. Once she created her first website and saw it come to life, she knew she was ready for a change. So, Kayta took the leap. She joined a coding bootcamp, studied while working full-time, and retrained as a software engineer.
Today, Kayta works with a team that builds tools to send the news directly to millions of readers. She loves that her work helps connect people with stories that matter. It wasn’t easy changing careers. She had to start at the bottom again and face moments of self-doubt, but she kept going. Her creativity, communication skills, and persistence helped her find her place in tech.
Kayta hopes to see more women in technology and champions others to give it a go. Her advice to anyone thinking about changing paths? Just do it. You never know where curiosity might lead.
STEM Meter
How much Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) does this job use?
Kayta Hackman Riley, Software Engineer
Discover more about Kayta and her decision to swap careers, and you may uncover your own calling in engineering.
“My curiosity about how things work led me from marketing into software engineering.”
Resources
- Students
- Teachers
- Parents
For students
Career Info Sheet for kids – Kayta
Poster – Kayta
Skills Colouring In – Kayta
Student Activity Pack – Kayta
Wordsearch – Kayta
For teachers
Capability Conversations – Kayta
Career Information Sheet – Kayta
Career Pathway Infographic – Software Engineer ABC
Comprehension Questions – Kayta
Poster – Kayta
Teacher’s Pack – Kayta
For parents
Career Information Sheet – Kayta
Career Pathway Infographic – Software Engineer ABC
Poster – Kayta
Skills Colouring In – Kayta
Future You was funded by the Australian Government as part of the Women in STEM Ambassador Initiative from 2019 to May 2024, delivered through a grant with UNSW Sydney. The program is hosted at UNSW Sydney and co-funded by the Optiver Foundation and the Faculties of Science at UNSW Sydney and The University of Sydney.