Meet Kayta Hackman Riley

Software Engineer

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Future You Pathfinder images

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?

Science

55%

Tech

96%

Engineering

75%

Maths

71%

Source: jobsandskills.gov.au

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

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.