Meet Lara-Michelle who joined us on our Technology Graduate Programme. Lara tells us how she discovered Capital One, explains a little about her role and shares a few highlights from her first year.

There were two things I was looking for in a company. One, that learning and development was a priority, and two, a commitment to diversity and inclusion. When I heard about Capital One through its partnership with Code First Girls, I knew its values were aligned with my own.

My days vary enormously, depending on which stage of a project my team and I are at. But there's always a nice mix of meetings and technical work, and that variety is something I really enjoy. Right now, we're taking services that used to be hosted in our data centre, and modifying them to get them working in the Cloud. 

It's been a whirlwind year, and I feel I've grown so much. I've achieved my Cloud Practitioner Certification and I'm now working towards the Solution Architect Certification. Other highlights have included attending the Code First Girls Graduation and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Summit. 

My mentor has been absolutely brilliant, helping me to navigate my role. My team has been amazing as well, supporting me wherever they can. Not many companies let you try out three different areas of Software Development or offer this much support. By the end of the programme, I'll be a well-rounded and experienced Software Developer.