Career Q&A

Description

Have you ever wondered:

What skills, traits or qualifications it takes to get specific jobs in technology or transformation?

How people got to where they are?

or what those people actually do on a day to day basis?

This is your chance to ask a series of members of the Reed Women in Technology Mentoring Programme and from across a variety of role types anything you would like to know.

Dita is a cyber security consultant at WithSecure specializing in cloud security. However, her professional trajectory in technology was not her initial choice.

Dita began her academic pursuits in her home country, the Czech Republic, where she studied film directing and script writing. Her first job was being one of ten directors on a Hungarian version of Big Brother. Although she enjoyed working in the television industry, she felt a desire to explore beyond the boundaries of her home country. She left for the UK where she worked in various roles around film and TV, as a part time accountant, and a project manager for a start up.

Dita also ran a successful hypnotherapy practice specializing in anxieties and depression. It was her long term interest in technology and human mind that ultimately led Dita to venture into the field of cyber security.

She currently works in an offensive cyber security role assessing cloud environments and applications while researching social engineering and ways to hack the brain.

After completing a degree in Computing BSc and following a somewhat linear path in IT Service Management, at the end of 2022 Lucy Grimwade decided it was time to take her passion for delivering and sustaining value to the next level – She did this by launching her consulting and coaching practice Ither (ai – thuh) Consultancy ltd.

The boutique Enterprise and IT Service Management Consulting and Coaching Practice works on the notion that real value is found in building cultural mindsets to ensure engagement and empowerment thus sustaining people and business success.

After going through her own shifts and challenges – 2018 marked a start of a new path where Lucy embarked on a journey to become a qualified coach. Fast forward to today, Lucy has over 200 hours of coaching, a Coaching Diploma with the internationally recognised body: ICF and holds additional qualifications in NLP and CBT.

Lucy classes herself as a modern-day feminist. She is passionate about empowering Women in Tech, specifically those who work in non-technical roles. She does this by running a Women of ITSM platform with a goal to rocket launch careers and help businesses retain their female tech talent.

Lucy also hosted a podcast called Talk Female Friday with the overarching goal to share stories and advice from real women in real situations.

Lucy is also a huge advocate for allyship. She is focused on making sure that everyone, especially women and people of colour, are not only invited to the table but they also have a seat, a voice, and a contribution.

During 2022, I career changed from a Head of Performing Arts to an Associate Developer at Sky. In February, I wrote my first line of code during Code First Girls Python & Apps and loved it. I quickly signed up to their degree and by May, I had a sponsored place on their Full Stack degree. In September, I joined a mentoring programme which was pivotal in helping me prepare for technical interviews and tests, which then led to my job offer from Sky in October. In January, I also began instructing for Code First Girls so that I could inspire other women considering and/or preparing for a career in technology.

Dee is an experienced Head of IT Strategy & Architecture who's has held roles across enterprise architecture; systems integration; solution design & development, implementation and support; pre-sales and account management and worked with a range of industries including banking, B2C retail, B2B enterprise business, outsourcing.

Sammi is a Project Manager, currently working for Beckman Coulter Diagnostics. She has worked in oil & gas, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals and more recently health tech (specifically in-vitro diagnostics, or “IVD” for short).

During her career, Sammi has encountered many barriers for her own personal development – in particular the transition from a technical-facing role to project management.

Despite the challenges, Sammi has learned to utilize the power of networking and mentoring to support her career aspirations. For this reason, Sammi is now really keen to share her experiences in the hope that it can help to guide others – including those struggling with personal development or wishing to pursue a career in project management.

I spent 23 of my career working in the MARS Corporation. It was not my initial intention to have a career in I.T, in fact started my working life in finance. Working for a large company like MARS gave me opportunity to explore many different roles and functions that led me to a deep understanding of how the business operated. I then went on to be involved in some large scale business change projects which led to my passion for technology. I have had the privilege of leading a major CRM and Digital Transformation Globally, and as part of an acquisition of the MARS business unit I worked in to LAVAZZA I led a very complex Migration Program to separate all elements of I.T out of MARS and into our new home of LAVAZZA. Over the past couple of years I have headed up I.T as the Global I.T Director for all LAVAZZA Subsidiaries.