I keep asking myself, “What are you waiting for?” I know there aren’t many women in your industry, but don’t let that stop you from reaching your goals. Set the bar for others to aspire to the same level of success in Information Technology.

I went through a time in my career where I struggled to find a place to work that accepted me because it was a new concept to a lot of men in this industry who were not accustomed to having a woman in their workplace. Is it worth it?

I remember when I worked at the Trap House. It was exciting for them to say they had a female in IT now. It sometimes made my day to see them see me doing a role that they were most likely seeing a man do. To know that I am capable of anything I set my mind to and that I can do what the men do and better.

When I started getting my first hands-on experience, I started volunteering at my alma mater’s IT department. I had a good relationship with several of the IT admin’s in the building at which I took all my classes. I went into one of them and expressed my interests and aspirations. At the time, there weren’t many women in my industry pursuing a career in the IT field as I did, so I learned a lot from this individual and was eager to learn more.

Once I graduated from college, my career took a backseat because a lot of guys weren’t ready to close the gender gap at the time they hired me. I went to the finish line and all I heard was, “I don’t think you’d be a good fit for our team.” I was learning the hard way that my career wasn’t a safe space for me as a woman.

During this time, I tried to do things in my life that I didn’t feel passionate about but I knew my heart was in IT. I didn’t give up. I kept working on it.

This is a chapter in my book, and I’m giving you a sneak peek before it hits shelves in 2024. So what are you waiting on?

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