For a long time, however, the 23-year-old thought her future lay somewhere very different.
Aliya came from a science-based background and had planned to pursue medicine, initially enrolling on a Clinical Sciences degree at the University of Bradford.
But during her A-level years and the Covid pandemic, her interest in technology began to grow.
Artificial intelligence was developing rapidly and conversations with her father increasingly made her question whether medicine was really the career she wanted.
There was also something familiar about technology.
“As a kid, I used to take apart computers with my dad and put them back together,” she said.
“Eventually, I had to admit to myself that engineering was what I truly enjoyed. As much as I respected medicine, technology was where my future was.”
It was a significant change of direction.
Aliya switched from Clinical Sciences to Software Engineering, despite having no previous background in computer science and knowing she would be studying alongside people who had already spent years learning to code.
She admits that initially made her nervous.
“At first, I worried I’d struggle against students who had been coding for years,” she said.
But rather than allowing that lack of experience to deter her, Aliya began learning from the beginning.
Four years later, the decision has taken her from Bradford to the heart of the global banking industry.
Aliya graduated in July with first-class honours in BEng (Hons) Software Engineering and has now secured a graduate position with HSBC Group, with a starting salary of more than £34,000.
Splitting her working time between Canary Wharf in London and Sheffield, she is part of the bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking Technology team.
Her work focuses on global payment solutions – the technology and banking systems that allow businesses to send, receive and manage money internationally.
It is a considerable leap for someone who once wondered whether she would be able to keep up on a software engineering course.
And Aliya had already been given an insight into just how important technology can be within modern banking.
During an internship with HSBC the previous year, she worked in financial crime prevention, helping to build and maintain database tools used to identify potentially fraudulent activity.
“During my internship, a huge part of the process was just mapping out how HSBC Group is structured globally, simply because it’s such a massive organisation,” she said.
“Moving into global payment solutions in CIB Tech, I’m really looking forward to building on that experience and taking on new challenges.”
Aliya’s journey is also one that may resonate with young people who feel the subjects they choose at school or college have already determined what they must do with the rest of their lives.
Her experience suggests otherwise.
She entered university expecting one career, changed direction and then had to learn an entirely new discipline.
Aliya credits the support she received at Bradford with helping her overcome some of those early doubts.
“The lecturers at Bradford were incredible,” she said. “They went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed to succeed.
“Bradford gave me the skills and confidence to build a career in something I love.
“I grew so much during my time at Bradford. The University backed me in every aspect of my life, and looking at where I am now, this was definitely the path I was meant to take.”
For Aliya, securing a job with a global bank is an achievement in itself.
But perhaps the more important part of her story is how she got there.
She did not begin university as an experienced coder. She did not grow up knowing she wanted to become a software engineer. And she was prepared to reconsider a career path she had previously believed was right for her.
What she did have was the curiosity that had been there since childhood – when taking apart a computer with her dad was simply something she enjoyed doing.
Today, that curiosity has become a career.
And for students currently worrying that they do not have their future completely mapped out, Aliya’s experience carries a simple message: sometimes changing direction can be the decision that puts you on the right path.
The University of Bradford’s Software Engineering and other computing and engineering programmes remain available through Clearing, which runs until 9 October. Prospective students, including adult learners considering returning to education, can contact the University’s Clearing team on 0808 196 9129 or apply through the University of Bradford website.
