March 24th is Ada Lovelace Day, which is billed by its creators as "an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology".
Why celebrate women in technology?
The motivation for this day is described on the sponsors' website:
Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines. Entrepreneurs, innovators, sysadmins, programmers, designers, games developers, hardware experts, tech journalists, tech consultants. The list of tech-related careers is endless.
Recent research by psychologist Penelope Lockwood discovered that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male ones. That's a relatively simple problem to begin to address. If women need female role models, let's come together to highlight the women in technology that we look up to. Let's create new role models and make sure that whenever the question "Who are the leading women in tech?" is asked, that we all have a list of candidates on the tips of our tongues.
Why is Ada Lovelace Day relevant to me?
As a father to two daughters, ages 5 and 4,
I definitely appreciate the need for good role models.
While I would prefer to see my girls find their own passion and calling in life as they move on to adulthood, I want them to be aware of the opportunities that are out there. Better yet, I want them to know about those who have used such opportunities to grow professionally.
My choice for a blog post?
Fortunately, we happen to have two great role models here at Compendium Blogware -- Abby Brosmer-Rivera and Krystal Featherston -- our Product Support team.
The team was formed last fall as an offshoot of our Client Success group to provide a more effective way of helping our users get the most out of our corporate blogging service.
Because our team, Engineering, and their team fall under the Product group, we have a lot of interaction with them.
To do my part in celebrating Ada Lovelace day, I decided to write a blog post about Abby and Krystal's transition to a more technical role and what they've gained so far from the experience.
Abby And Krystal's story
The Role
So what does someone in Product Support do on a day-to-day basis? Krystal sums it up with the following points:
- Set up new clients to get them blogging as quickly as possible
- Answer questions related to the platform.
- Make sure that clients are happy and forward appropriate people when they are not.
How They Got Here
What did Abby and Krystal do before joining Compendium?
Abby said that she worked on training implementation in her prior job, and when she hired on at Compendium, she started as an Implementation manager, which made for a good match.
She said that she's always had an interest in the web, marketing, and SEO, but the technical side of software development had a strong appeal for her, so hiring on with an up-and-coming technology company was especially exciting.
Krystal said she worked public relations and marketing, which she didn't find to be challenging. Her days were "long and boring" and she wanted something that would be challenging every day.
Prior to joining Compendium, neither Abby nor Krystal imagined taking on a more technical role. Abby said that at one point, she realized she liked solving problems and digging into technical details, but didn't foresee being a Product Support manager until she was offered the position. Describing it as a blessing, Abby said that she says she loves what she does on a day-to-day basis.
The Growth Since Then
Krystal said that since moving into Product Support she has picked up some JavaScript programming, which she really enjoys, and is starting to dabble in PHP, a scripting language that is used to power lots of websites, including Compendium's. Abby said that she knew some rudimentary HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but since moving into this role, her fluency has improved, surpassing what she expected.
The reward for Krystal is continuously learning new subjects, whether they be major or minor. She adds, "One thing I really enjoy about my job is I work with extremely passionate people who really care about the quality of work they do, and that it is a bit refreshing. I take pride in what I do, and it nice to work with others who do the same. I don’t mind working long and extra hours – when I know there are others who are doing the same because they care about what they are doing."
Abby said there have been lots of things she's found rewarding about her job, but the biggest one of all is learning to help someone else solve a problem.
Krystal finds troubleshooting to be the most challenging skill to learn. Describing herself as a "visual learner", she says, "It’s hard to try to figure something out without actually being there to see it."
Where Do They Want to Go from Here?
For expanding her skills, Krystal relies on books, the web, and the advice of the Engineering team, whom she says are willing to explain things clearly to her.
Abby cited the bi-weekly reading groups that are held by the Engineering team as a skill booster. She also relies on several online references, including the W3C, the standards body that helps define the foundations of the web.
Both listed JavaScript programming as something they want to improve their knowledge of.
Their Advice to Future Techies
I asked our Support Team to offer up advice to girls and young women who may be pursuing a career in computing technology.
Krystal encourages them to never stop learning and to have the patience to persevere. "It doesn't always work the first time, but if you're patient and keep working at it – you’ll figure it out."
Abby writes, "Follow your dream! If you have a passion for logic and problem solving and continuous development and learning, you will do great. It is so exciting to be a part of an ever growing and developing field."
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