Women in Tech: Q&A with a Product Trainer

As part of Cybertill’s 2021 International Women’s Day activities we are bringing a series of interviews with Cybertill’s ‘Women in Tech’. Meet Carly, a female Product Trainer who started on our Support team and has worked her way up Cybertill over the years.

Can you give a brief overview of your job/role?

My role of an Internal Product Trainer is to ensure that my colleagues/ staff within the business have the required product knowledge and training materials to support them within their role.

 

Can you give us a little background of how you got into your industry, and why you chose this profession?

After completing my A-Levels in 2007, I went to Liverpool John Moores University and earned a BSc (Hons) Degree in Information Systems. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what career path I wanted to take, but because of how rapidly technology was changing in everyday life, throughout the entire world, I believed having a degree in that area would open as many doors as possible.

Shortly after graduating University, I got a job at Cybertill. Initially it was a temporary contract to help during a busy period. As the months went on, my contact became permanent and I joined 3^rd line Support.

After a few years of working for Cybertill, I left the business to continue a role in Support within a Law Firm. I continued to work within that area for a couple of years, but I always enjoyed the element of demonstrating to a customer/user how to do something, rather than troubleshooting and resolving an issue myself. I trained to become an IT Trainer within the legal sector, which I very much enjoyed, and knew that training within the IT sector was the career path I’d been looking for. A few years after working as an IT Trainer, I re-joined Cybertill in a brand-new position as Internal Product Trainer, where I have been for the past 4 years now.

 

What was your dream job when you were younger and why?

I always had a fascination with becoming a dentist. Even when I left school and went to college, I chose A-Level subjects that were essential for enrolling onto a dentistry degree. These were, Maths, Chemistry, Biology… and then I chose Information Technology as my optional subject. A few weeks into my course and I knew that Information Technology was what I was interested in and wanted to pursue.

 

What are some traits that you think great leaders possess?

I think a great leader should demonstrate a hardworking attitude. They should be fair and empathetic and have some self-awareness when leading others.

 

What woman inspired you in business and why?

If I’m being honest, there isn’t one specific woman within business who has inspired me, but I’ve always been surrounded by hardworking women, who are also Mothers, and constantly juggling between jobs and home life. I have been raised with the attitude that within business, anything a man can do, a woman can do equally as well.

 

Are there many women in your profession? If not, why do you think this is?

The whole IT industry seems to be very male dominated. This was something I picked up on within my early University days. I think there were only a hand full of women on the course compared to hundreds of men. Because of this, I feel like it prepared me for my future career. I’d always been surrounded by men in both my education and in the workplace, and I’ve never felt threatened or that I was less capable in any way.

 

What are some strategies that can help women achieve a more prominent role in their organisations?

Speak up in what you believe in, and ensure your voice is heard just as much as anybody else’s. Treat people with respect, and you will (nearly always) get it back.

 

What is one business lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Always try and have a good working relationship with all colleagues in your team and all other teams within the business. You never know when you’ll need someone else’s help or expertise.

 

As a woman in business, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

I am a new Mum. Not a barrier, but the biggest challenge of my career is trying to get used to the balance between working a full-time job, and everything that comes with that role, but still wanting to always be there for when my son needs me. I’m still working on the whole Mum-guilt thing!

 

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Go for it and don’t give up!

What advice would you share with young women entering a male-dominated profession?

 

“Enter the profession with the mindset that there is no difference between yourself and the rest of your colleagues. Anything they can do, you can do equally as good… if not better.”