Welcome to our short interview with Jennifer Johnson, a seasoned professional with eight years of experience at the Financial Times. Jennifer discusses her journey, career changes, and the support she's received along the way at the FT.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your current role?

Yep! I'm Jen, and I've been working at the FT for eight years. In that time, I've been through some big life changes, including getting married, having two kids, moving house twice, and navigating a career change. When I joined I was a young party animal, now I’m the old team mum! At the moment, I’m the Tech Lead for the “Bolt-Ons” team in the Professional group within Product and Technology.

What was your first role at FT, and what motivated you to join?

I started at the FT as a project manager for the “Next" team, responsible for redesigning and rebuilding FT.com in 2016. I’d been working in investment banks before the FT and wanted to experience a different work culture and a more dynamic way of working. During the interview process I met some fabulous people - including my first manager Michelle, who is a good friend to this day. The FT is a really well respected brand, and the people that work here are some of the best, and friendliest, in the industry so I was really excited to join.

What moves have you made within FT, and why did you decide to go for a promotion or change?

I’ve moved around a lot at the FT; I’ve done different roles and worked on different teams and the diversity of experience means that it’s always been interesting. My biggest move was from project management to engineering - I learnt to code in my spare time and enjoyed it so much I decided to make the move professionally as well. I was lucky to work in an environment where I was really supported - from my manager to the wider department - I was encouraged to code for my team alongside project management until I was good enough to make the switch full time.

How has the FT helped you develop or progress in your role or in your career?

I can’t say enough good things about how the FT has helped my career progression in the last eight years! I’ve already talked about how supported I was in my career change, but there are lots of other examples. They encouraged me to take on the role of a Tech Lead, even when I was a mid-level developer, then encouraged me into other leadership positions to broaden my experience. I've been mentored through the mentoring program and am now a mentor myself. The FT has been incredibly supportive during my return to work after each maternity leave, and they consistently offer valuable internal and external training courses.

What FT project are you most excited to work on now?

At the moment, I'm immersed in the "Central Banking Hub," a new B2B product that reimagines how we package our content. Developing the MVP for this product has involved collaboration across various teams in Product and Technology, and it's been fascinating to bring all the elements together while minimising friction for everyone involved.

How did the FT support you with an internal move? 

I've never regretted any move I've made at the FT. Two key factors contributed to this: firstly, thoroughly understanding the challenges and potential drawbacks of a new role by talking to people within that team beforehand. Secondly, recognising that the risk was relatively low as the move was within the FT—a fantastic working environment with people I already enjoyed working with. Even when unsure about a move, the FT's supportive culture and the prospect of more opportunities in the future made it a worthwhile and fulfilling journey.

What has surprised you most about working at the FT?

Lots of things have surprised me at the FT, all of them good! Like most people, I was surprised how un-corporate the atmosphere is here, it’s just such a friendly place to work! I was surprised at how cutting edge the Product and Technology department is - it’s not just the editorial team that are industry leaders. And I am still surprised at how much there is to get involved in at the FT - the organisation does so much that there are always new and different opportunities, and even eight years in I’m still meeting new people and making new friends.