Emma Swift
Enterprise Data Architect, Royal Mail

- What does your job mean?
My job entails looking at data from all aspects – looking at how you define it, how you store it, how you transfer it and how you manage it.
- What do you like most about working with data?
I love the variety. As an Enterprise Data Architect no two days are the same – you can be helping write data policies, you could be trying to define how a message structure looks between two pieces of software, or a tangible business problem with several ways of tackling it. It’s hugely varied.
- What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Use your enthusiasm. It was something that never occurred to me. I always knew I was enthusiastic about my role, but I never thought I could use that in a positive way. I’ve found that, later in my career, it’s a way of making people listen. If you’re completely enthusiastic in their faces 24/7 usually they pay attention!
- Where do you find your confidence?
My confidence comes from within because if you rely on confidence building outside of you, you’re always risking disappointment. So I try to really make sure that I’m my own best friend.