Every year on and around Ada Lovelace Day, people around the world acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths.
At Fujitsu, we acknowledge Ada Lovelace Day by sharing some of the stories of our amazing Women in STEM. Read on as they share their journey through the IT industry, some advice they would give to their younger selves and more!
Jenny Tran
Senior Business Analyst – NSW
How did you start a career in the IT industry?
I started studying Software Engineering at university only to realise that programming was not my forte so I decided to change majors midway through. Eventually, I graduated from university with a Bachelor Degree in Information Technology (Majoring in System Analysis & Design).
I applied for all the graduate programs and junior entry positions available in Sydney at the time. Not limiting myself to strictly I.T. companies, I also looked at organisations in the Consulting field, Banking and Finance industry, Electronics and Publishing areas. I ended up making it through to 2nd and 3rd round interviews with CSC (Computer Science Corporation) and successfully secured the role of a Junior Business Analyst and undertook their graduate program.
At CSC, being in the Managed Services engineering department I learnt a lot about outsourcing and Service Modelling. From there, I moved to Fujitsu into the Systems Management area and continued to learn and grow and still do so today.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or fail and fall over. Just remember to learn how best and most quickly to pick yourself up again. There is always a lesson to be learnt from making errors or mistakes. Often times, the process of making a mistake helps unveil a new idea or is the creation of an opportunity. Never give up and always try again. Follow your instincts and initial intuition which will usually lead you down the right path.
What piece of advice would you give other women looking into a career in STEM?
Find the joy, positives and beauty in the plethora of roles available in the STEM field and pursue your passion at full force. Remain persistent and diligent and above all, enjoy the ride.
Teagan Rickets
Team Leader – End User Services – ACT
How did you start a career in the IT industry?
I actually wanted to be an actress, I majored in the arts all throughs school but IT was always my backup. I have family and friends that worked for Fujitsu at the time, so when Plan A seemed unattainable I applied through some friends for a role on the Defence service desk. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
What challenges have you overcome in your career?
I’ve definitely learnt a lot in the last year technically, my current role has such broad scope that I dabble in so many streams. I think the biggest challenge is trying not to spread myself so thin. As a bit of a Yes-Woman I like to be hands on and collaborating with clients and other employees to improve whatever I can.
What one word best sums up you and your vision?
Infinite. Firstly, we shouldn’t ever limit ourselves in any capacity (even with one word). We should all be reaching for the stars and allowing ourselves to dream big and go above and beyond to help ourselves and others to be the best version of themselves.
How do you support and celebrate women in the business?
I think that it’s really important to acknowledge that if you’re comfortable and confident in who you are, then you will be able to help others to feel the same. You’ll want to help them reach their full potential, using actions and the power of speech to promote a supportive environment where we can bolster a community full of compassion, guidance and comradery.
Reshma Sheregar
Service Delivery Manager – NSW
How did you start a career in the IT industry?
Science and Maths has been an integral part while growing up as my father was an engineer and my role model. So engineering came in as a natural choice. One of my first job was as a helpdesk operator while I was in university. I realised quite early in my career I liked human interaction while being technical rather than being a solo technical contributor.
Is there a time where you have felt out of your comfort zone? How did you overcome this?
There has been several occasions, one particularly stands out. I had just started working for a Telecom Company as a network engineer, when we were called for a state wide operations meeting in Melbourne. I was waiting for the meeting to start and was the only woman in the meeting room full of Engineers, all male. We were supposed to get introduced to our new Head of Operations.
It was a weird feeling to face the fact that there were no women in entire broader team and quite uncomfortable. But soon the Head of Operations walked in, a woman who I still admire to date. For some reason, I derived strength from the mere presence of a Senior woman executive.
I talked to her after the meeting, I remember the gist of our conversation. She made me believe that the uniqueness I bring to the team is unparalleled. She was right, I progressed quickly through the technical ladder. I had a very successful career at the company.
Again I always have a learners mindset and never afraid to ask questions.
What piece of advice would you give other women looking into a career in STEM?
- Acknowledge women are in the minority in this area, but be confident and committed in your perspective
- Have a learner’s mindset
- Focus on soft skills
- Assume nothing, always ask questions
Thank you to Jenny, Tegan, and Reshma for sharing their stories above! Hear more from other Women in STEM at Fujitsu in Part 1 of our series here.
