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Describe your background and how you got into IT
I am currently the trainer at Kalido, a company who’s products centre around information management - business modelling, data warehouses and master data management.
I have been working in IT for 12 years as a technical author & trainer and in that time have developed and delivered training courses worldwide for a number of different systems ranging from simple databases to systems that deliver digital broadcast content. I provide an interface between technical staff and an often non technical audience. I have planned, designed and authored product documentation, training material and help files. The authoring role involves interviewing developers and subject matter experts to understand the technology to be described and to clarify technical issues, converting these into clear, simple English. As both a trainer and author I have often been asked to perform needs analysis for screen layouts & usability, testing functionality and facilitating user acceptance testing
I have dabbled in business analysis, having implemented two support systems, interviewing users to gather needs and writing requirement specifications and process flows and evaluating alternative software solutions.
How did you get in to IT
I got into IT by chance, in South Africa it is common to read for a vocational degree, I chose to do a Bachelor of Commerce and was doing accounts and economics. A friend of mine mentioned that she was taking Business Information Systems, I thought this course sounded interesting, I signed up for it and I found it so interesting that I went on to major in it. The focus was on the software development lifecycle, systems analysis and design with a strong focus on the customer – we learnt how to program, model data, test etc.
What do you like best about working in IT?
It is so interesting and varied. In my 12 year career I have worked with different software targeted at many different industries - banks, mobile telephony, digital television, business intelligence. Each system helps to make peoples jobs easier and in my role I get to meet many, very different people. It is also really cool to know that the software you have trained/authored is what is getting that programme information & guides to the TV or enabling your text messages to be sent.
What have been the highlights of your career so far?
No major highlights, but my combination of soft skills and technical competence has enabled me to travel and pick up jobs fairly easily while living in South Africa, Australia and the UK. I have also travelled extensively in my jobs - in the past two years I have travelled with work to Singapore, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Bangalore, Sydney and around the UK.
What are your tips for success?
I have always been very much hands on with a can do attitude and that seems to have been well received. Learn as much as you can and admit your mistakes.
Join as big a company as you can, they tend to send staff on more training courses than smaller companies & you also don’t risk becoming a ‘jack of all trades’. Once you have learnt all you can learn or progressed as far as you are going to, move on.
Do you think it might have been a different story, of "how you got to where you are now", if you'd been a man?
No. I have worked with technical men and women who are equally competent and I have only ever found that the people who have issues with gender are the women themselves. Perhaps this is the nature of my role? In this respect I suppose I have been fortunate.
Tell us a little about your life outside of work
I spend a lot of time with friends and I cook a lot. I love wine and gardening and shopping.
Are you aware of any preconceptions or stereotypes of women in IT, and if so what do you think of them?
Perhaps I fit into a stereotype of women in IT and am not actively aware of it? I have fortunately never been affected by gender issues in the workplace.
If you could give young women looking for a position in the IT market place a single piece of advice what would it be?
Believe in yourself and don’t sell yourself short. |
