Growing up with a love of numbers, a natural curiosity, and a deep sense of ambition, Hibaag Rooble always thought she would be an accountant.
But part way through studying a degree in finance at Birmingham City University, the high-flying fitness fanatic switched career plans after learning about opportunities in tech.
Now, instead of a day faced with audits and accounts, the 24-year-old is helping some of the world’s largest banks on their digital transformation journey as part of her work as a technical specialist for software giant Microsoft. And she has never looked back.
“I was looking for something a bit more exciting, that excited my curiosity,” says Rooble, who used to sprint at county and national level when she was younger, and who now enjoys working out at the gym, doing weights and high-intensity interval training. “Working with technology allows for that. Every day is different and I am constantly problem solving.”
It was in September 2020 that Rooble joined the company’s graduate trainee scheme Aspire Experience – a two-year programme for top performing students that takes on 3,000 graduates from more than 1,100 universities worldwide.
Open to those graduating with an undergraduate or master’s degree, PhD, or a full-time MBA, the company recruits every year for a variety of roles – such as tech sales, customer success, finance, marketing and software engineering. New starters are promised a customised learning experience, with accelerated professional development and the opportunity to build a network of connections in more than 60 countries. There’s a twin track programme: one for graduates and one for MBA students.
The scheme aims to help graduates master the gap between life on a university campus and life on a Microsoft campus. “This experience encourages early career hires to build their community and foster lasting relationships while channelling their individual passions,” says a Microsoft spokesperson. Participants organise global events, and take part in personal and career development activities, such as career advisory boards, networking sessions and role shadowing programmes.
For Rooble, the scheme has enabled her to offer support to students from underrepresented backgrounds considering careers in technology. She’s also looking forward to having opportunities in her latest role to pursue her passion for travel. Before joining Microsoft, she took part in an international exchange programme in China and volunteered teaching English at an orphan centre in Cambodia.
Born in the Netherlands, Rooble, who describes herself as Dutch-Somali, moved to the UK when she was four. She grew up in a single parent household in Leicester, a city noted for its diversity.
Graduating from university with a first-class degree in accounting and finance in the middle of the first lockdown, she turned towards tech and completed a three-month course in coding. She quickly realised it wasn’t for her, but doors opened after she attended a four-day leadership programme for young people at the Aleto Foundation, a social mobility charity that provides opportunities for young people with high potential.
The initiative was hosted by Microsoft and led to an invitation to attend the firm’s flagship Black History Month event. Rooble heard people from similar backgrounds at Microsoft talk about their success and their work to increase representation. It struck a chord with her.
“Growing up in such a diverse community I didn’t understand why there were not enough people who come from my community in these types of roles,” she says. She says she’d always assumed she would have to hide her identity, rather than be herself, in order to get on in the corporate world, and so the company’s mantra of “come as you are and do what you love” appealed.
Inspired by the event, she applied to join the Aspire Experience programme. “There are roles for just about anyone who has the transferrable skills and drive to change the world through our technology,” she says.
Spurred on by her natural sense of self-purpose, Rooble was awarded the company’s Global Technology Solutions Excellence award for her work and was recently promoted to a role within the company’s Global Partner Alliance between Accenture and Avanade as EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) sales lead, a position that will include opportunities to travel and work on strategic sales campaigns.
Passionate about increasing diversity in the tech sector, she has taken part in a company scheme to mentor young people from under-represented backgrounds and highlight work opportunities. She also plays a leading role in Embrace – a Microsoft employee resource group open to employees from ethnic and minority backgrounds.
“Mentoring and career advocacy is something extremely important to me,” says Rooble, who adds that the advice and guidance from her mentors has helped shape her career.
The last two years have been a whirlwind, says Rooble, but also transformative: “Starting your career remotely is never easy, but collaborating with some incredibly bright people and creating solutions that can completely transform the way a business operates has been incredible to be a part of.” And she encourages those interested in the scheme to go for it. “I’d recommend anyone with a natural sense of curiosity, a growth mindset and relevant experience to apply.”
Microsoft has a wide range of career opportunities for people with the potential to make a difference. Find out more
