Charlotte Millington

Behind the glitz and glamour of the TV studio, Computing graduate Charlotte Millington uses the skills and knowledge she gained at Edge Hill University to make sure shopping channel QVC’s customer details are kept safe and secure.

“I’ve been a keen gamer all my life and my plan was to learn to code so that I could design computer games. I had a go at games programming in my first year and quickly decided it wasn’t for me after all. However, the course opened my eyes to the possibilities of information security, which I found really interesting. The knowledge I gained during my degree was a good foundation to build on for a career in this area.

“I got talking to someone from QVC at the Computing Careers Fair and thought it sounded a bit different from the norm. I applied for their graduate scheme and started working there straight after graduation. It was good because I knew what the job involved and what I needed to do from day one.

“QVC has a worldwide information security management department and I’m in one of four teams based in Knowsley. My job is to detect vulnerabilities in QVC’s order and payment systems to protect customers’ personal and financial information, which could be exploited by hackers. Any breach of cyber security could compromise the business and even cause it to collapse so all the servers have to be constantly scanned and monitored. I have quite a high level of responsibility despite being so soon out of university.

“When you’re thinking about potential careers, always follow your head and your heart. Try and do something you’re interested in, not just a job for the sake of it. I really enjoy working at QVC and I’m hoping to move up the ladder here, eventually taking on a more analytical role. It’s a great working environment – I might not get to be on TV but I do get a 20% discount and I’m learning all the time!”

For more information about studying BSc (Hons) Computing.