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 I actually fell into a career in IT completely by accident; I did a one-off translation job for a viral marketing company who then offered me a full-time position, and I worked my way up from there. Gradually I was introduced to the blogosphere and set up the seventeen blogs that I now run. I am currently Publisher Services Manager at Unruly Media, a leading viral marketing company based in London. One of the best parts of the job is its flexibility; the great thing about working online is that if public transport fails I can always work from home.
My life outside of my work at Unruly Media is varied; I am also a researcher at the University of Oxford's Centre for Science and Religion, and am a freelance proofreader, translator and writer. I speak French, English, Romany, Spanish, German and Italian to varying levels of proficiency; this is undoubtedly one of the reasons I got the job in the first place! Speaking any language other than your own is a big advantage when applying for jobs. I also somehow manage to find time for my hobbies: I like to read (anything and everything, but a lot of crime fiction), cook, blog, swim, run, sit by the sea at night, sing, write poetry, and sit down with a nice cup of tea.
As I mentioned before, I fell into my current IT job entirely accidentally, and had no previous experience of advertising, nor any qualifications in the field. I did, however, have good school grades and an excellent work record – I'd been working part-time since I was twelve, so had built up a lot of experience when I joined the company at 19 – and was also studying for a BA in Psychology & Philosophy. All of this contributed to me getting the job, but I think the main reason I was offered it was my obvious enthusiasm for work in general, and my ability to work quickly and efficiently. Did being a woman have any effect on me being hired? I don't think so. The company I work for seems to have a pretty equal balance of men to women, and I have never felt discriminated against on the basis of my gender. Perhaps I'm just lucky!
If I were to give one piece of advice to a woman seeking employment in IT, I would advise her to be herself. I think women can often try to over-compensate in a largely male-dominated market, and that this may work against them at the interview stage and beyond. Good luck, and don't forget to ask for help from other women who are already working in IT.
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