Women in Technology: Meet Susan

Marissa: Tell us your story on how you got into technology.
Susan: I have family members who have worked for big companies such as Microsoft and
who have started their own security firm. They were always my biggest influences growing up. I also used to break things a lot when I was younger; getting viruses installed on my father’s laptop began my curiosity for malware research and it all went from there!

Marissa: Did you always know that working in technology was what you wanted to do?
Susan: Yes, since I was six years old technology has always been my passion!

Marissa: Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?
Susan: I have been with Dataprise for 3 months and work as an Onsite Service Desk Engineer. I’m based full-time at one client and a typical day for me consists of going to the client’s office and checking to see if there are technical issues going on. I work to get those issues resolved in a timely manner and also have projects to do and unresolved issues to fix. I’m also always making sure that customer satisfaction remains my top priority.

Marissa: What is it that you enjoy most about your current job at Dataprise?
Susan: I love the people I work with. They are all amazing, talented and team-oriented. Everyone on my team is willing to help each other so that we can give the absolute best support. We all care about each other which is so important to keep business going.

Marissa: What advice would you give to women considering a career in the tech industry? What do you wish you had known?
Susan: Don’t be afraid to do what you love. Don’t go for a job you’re not going to like. If you have a passion for it, just do it. Don’t let anyone tell you or shame you for liking a field that not a lot of women get into. We need more women like you to join and fill the gap!

Marissa: What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in the tech industry? What do you wish you had known?
Susan: The first thing to do is to get your foot in the door. Industry certifications are the best way to do this. Whether that be CompTIA or Microsoft or Cisco, you should start studying and get hands on experience with the technologies. Also, become great with people by developing excellent social and soft skills which are just as important as having the technical knowledge. It’s really important to learn to know what to say to your clients and how to work with others.

Marissa: What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the technology industry?
Susan: As a woman in the technology industry, I’m helping to show other women no matter what gender, race, etc. you are, if you truly want to join this field, you can do it!

Marissa: Where do you see yourself going from here?
Susan: To be on Dataprise’s IT security team one day!