Dataprise Women in Technology: Meet Sarah A

This month for our Women in Technology, we are spotlighting Sarah A, one of our Service Managers! Read about her story and how she started in technology.

Tell us your story on how you got into technology.

I started working at a local TV station and realized the engineers had all the “fun,” so I transitioned to the Engineering department, just when the TV station was going to automation with computers and technology. I spent a lot of time working overnight and working with tech support, and they taught me all I know. After a few years, the IT person left, and I filled the roll.

Did you always know that working in technology was what you wanted to do?

Funny story: When I was in 4^th grade, we had to fill out a paper on what we would be doing in 30 years, and I put I would be working with computers (and married to my 4^th grade crush). The marriage was not to be, and I went to college on a music scholarship, but my 4^th grade teacher mailed me that assignment when I graduated college, and low and behold, it is now what I do. So, I am not sure I thought this would be my career, but my 4^th grade self knew it!

How long have you been with Dataprise?

I was part of the acquisition of Hooks Systems in the East North Carolina region. I have been with Hooks Systems for almost 15 years when we were acquired. I find Dataprise a wonderful place to work – I enjoy everyone I have met and spoke with, and I do think our clients are going to benefit from the changes we are making.

Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?

My day starts with seeing what comes in overnight, and if there are any fires to put out. I assist on tickets for the clients, helping co-workers, and learning the new software that Dataprise uses (to then teach everyone else on my team). Since I have been here so long, the clients come to me daily with all sorts of questions that I help with. I am kind of a “jack of all trades” in the IT world and truly believe that my connections with the clients and ability to adapt and roll with whatever is thrown at me helps me thrive.

What advice would you give to women considering a career in the tech industry? What do you wish you had known?

Tech is a fun field for me because it is always changing, so there is always something new to learn – this is what makes it fun. The most important thing in tech is communication. Talking to clients, explaining things, and doing it with a smile. “Customer Service” in technology is more than half the battle. I think if you are thinking of a tech career and are a people person, the sky is the limit for you!

Why do you think it’s important for more women to join the tech industry? How can the broader community support women in tech?

I have always worked in fields dominated by men (from an engineer at a TV station, to the IT world), and I think tech has the same issues as any industry for women. Do we get paid on the same scale, do we get treated differently then our male counterparts, do we always get asked to get the coffee orders? I think the remote aspect of tech allows more women to thrive. I think EVERY industry should have a balance of male and females, so I of course believe more women should be involved in the tech industry, but I am not sure how to make this come about.

What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?

For me, I don’t consider myself a woman in the tech field, I consider myself a Tech. 😊 I know we need more diversity, but I love tech because it is always changing, and I thrive on the learning, the changing and, for me, the contact with the clients I am helping. I feel multitasking is something I strive at, so the tech field fits me.

What is it that you enjoy most about your current job at Dataprise?

Helping clients, as well as learning the new software, seeing what it can do, and making it work for everyone.

What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

So, funny story, again: When I became a member of the Engineering department in the television station, I was the only female, and the youngest by over 20 years. The manager sat me down and told me, “Women cannot be engineers. It’s a man’s job.”  (Climbing towers, figuring out coordinates, lifting heavy things?) He told me he hired me because the corporation “made” him. He did “like me a lot” and knew I would be helpful. The reason this was the best advice I ever got is that it lit a fire in me. To climb the towers, lift the heavy equipment, and prove to everyone who thought like him, that they were wrong. Women can do anything!

Where do you see yourself going from here?

I plan on doing the best I can in the job I have now and any job I have in the future.