Join us for a special BA Book Club session as we welcome Christina Lovelock, author of Careers in Tech, Data and Digital: From Education to Employment, for an engaging conversation about the evolving landscape of careers in technology and how individuals can successfully navigate pathways from education into meaningful roles across the tech, data, and digital sectors.
This session also marks the launch of IIBA UK's Student and Early Careers Initiative, a new effort aimed at supporting students, graduates, and early-career professionals exploring opportunities in business analysis and the wider digital ecosystem.
In her award-winning book, which received the Specialist Book Award at the Business Book Awards in September 2025, Christina challenges common myths about working in technology, particularly the idea that careers in tech are limited to coding roles. Instead, she highlights the wide range of opportunities available across digital transformation, product, data, user experience, delivery, and business analysis.
Drawing on over two decades of industry experience, Christina offers practical insights, real-world examples, and guidance for practitioners, students, career changers, educators, and professionals who want to better understand the opportunities within the tech ecosystem and how to position themselves for success in a rapidly changing digital world from education through to employment.
This session will be valuable for:
- Students and graduates interested in tech, data, digital, or business analysis careers
- Early-career professionals exploring pathways into the digital sector
- Business analysts and practitioners interested in mentoring or supporting new talent
- Educators, career advisors, and professionals interested in developing future digital talent
Discussion topics
- Why Christina wrote the book and why understanding careers in tech matters today
- The wide variety of roles across tech, data, and digital beyond traditional developer paths
- The skills and mindsets needed to thrive in modern digital organisations
- The reality of “squiggly careers” and non-linear professional journeys
- Real-world stories and examples that bring digital careers to life
- The importance of transferable skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving
- How organisations, educators, and mentors can support emerging digital talent
- Practical advice for students and early-career professionals entering the tech ecosystem
Key takeaways from this session
• A clearer understanding of the many career paths available across tech, data, and digital
• Insights into the skills and capabilities that employers value in the digital economy
• Practical guidance for navigating early career pathways in technology
• Inspiration for students and professionals considering careers in business analysis and digital roles
• Greater awareness of how the IIBA UK Student and Early Careers Initiative will support emerging professionals
About the speaker
Christina Lovelock is the Director of Capability and Practice at Herd Consulting and is the author of two books: ‘Delivering Business Analysis’, and the award winning ‘Careers in Tech, Data and Digital’. She is active in the professional community, attending and regularly speaking at events and international conferences and is a contributor to ITNow magazine, BA Digest and the BA Times.
Christina is committed to the development of the next generation of tech professionals. She has introduced entry-level roles into her organisations and chaired the creation of a UK National Digital Apprenticeship standard.
She has worked in a range of public sector organisations and developed and led teams ranging in size from 5 to 120 people, is a qualified coach, apprentice examiner, and a director of the UK BA Manager Forum.
Christina would be delighted to connect: linkedin.com/in/christina-lovelock/
