UP3 - Unlocking My Potential - Ayda Abdullah: Balancing motherhood and a thriving tech career

Unlocking My Potential - Ayda Abdullah: Balancing motherhood and a thriving tech career

In the latest article in our Unlocking My Potential series, we hear from UP3’s Ayda Abdullah. Ayda has been at UP3 for nearly three years and now works as a Technical Consultant on clients including Clyde & Co, HS2 and National Highways. In this post she tells us about her journey to the tech industry, her return from maternity leave, and the importance of self-learning throughout her career. 

The Joy of Problem-Solving  

 I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was young. I explored various paths—taking a course in health and social care, business management, working in a call center, and diving into customer service—until I landed a role at an IT service desk. That’s when everything changed. 

In that position, I discovered a genuine passion for problem-solving. There was something incredibly fulfilling about helping others navigate their challenges. Each resolved issue brought me a sense of purpose and the rewarding feeling that I was making a positive impact in someone’s day.   

This experience not only clarified my career direction but also introduced me to ServiceNow. From the moment I started using it, I was impressed by its user-friendly design and it made such a difference to my ability to do my job. That experience has taught me how important it is to find what you enjoy, even if it takes a while!  

Sometimes you have to be a pioneer for yourself 

Coming from a working-class background, I often felt like I was navigating my own course without a roadmap or someone to guide me. I wasn’t even aware that roles like mine existed. It was all about exploring and figuring things out as I went along. 

After my role on an IT service desk, I moved into a role as a ServiceNow admin at a global company.  Shortly into the role I quickly realised I needed to have some understanding of coding to do my job well, so I immediately got myself a Code Academy subscription to learn coding. I watched hours of YouTube coding and ServiceNow tutorials to pick up new skills. I also attended coding classes, and I tried to pick up as much as possible from the people around me. I wanted to be brilliant in my role and to progress in my career. 

And I’ve been able to learn even faster at UP3. The diverse range of clients and sectors we work with has exposed me to various aspects of the ServiceNow platform. Each project presents new challenges and learning opportunities allowing my experience and knowledge to grow. 

It takes time to adjust to balancing motherhood and work 

My son is now 18 months and everything I do is for him. I just want to give him the best – that’s what drives me now. 

Coming back from maternity leave was definitely an adjustment but everyone at UP3 has been great and they’ve made it as easy as possible. They’ve accommodated me with flexible hours and been really understanding. They’ve given me lots of positive feedback to let me know how I’m doing. 

Returning to work felt a bit weird because at first, I’d try to do what I’d always done – make the time for self-learning, that kind of thing. But then you realise that there are more time pressures outside of work now, and you have to work with your colleagues to shuffle things around and prioritise. It took me a little while to realise, OK, nothing’s gone wrong with me, it’s just that life has changed. You need that space to adjust to it! And working with people who understand your situation is crucial too. 

Don’t be afraid to take up space 

Tech can still be a very male-dominated industry and for younger women especially it can be intimidating at times. But I’d say don’t be afraid to take up space and speak your mind.  

Sometimes you can fall into that trap of being scared to say what you’re thinking or to ask questions, but over time you get more confident speaking up. Three years ago, before UP3, you were unlikely to have heard a peep out of me – but now, thanks to them, I’m much more comfortable giving my opinion on things and putting myself forward for opportunities.  

Some of the women I’ve worked with have become very good friends to this day, and we push and encourage each other still. I’m lucky at UP3 that I’ve got great male colleagues around me too. But we need more of those female role models and male allies in our industry to show what’s possible. 

What unlocking potential means to me 

Sometimes you can have a lot of potential, but if you don’t surround yourself with the right people, it’s very hard for it to come to life. I definitely feel like I’ve unlocked a lot of potential that I probably didn’t know was there before, just because of having great people around me at UP3.  

My managers have been very intentional about nurturing me and putting me on the right projects to develop my skills. That shows me that I’m not just a number. People are really watching and making those decisions about where to put you, because they see something in you – they can see your potential. 


Thank you to Ayda for talking to us and providing such a brilliant story about returning to work, we're really proud of the culture of support and collaboration we've built at UP3, and if you'd like to be a part of that, check out our current opportunities on our careers page.

Ayda Abdullah

Written by:

Ayda Abdullah

Technical Consultant

21 October 2024

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