In April, the annual Guaranteed Irish Tech Forum took place and hosted a panel of four successful women in the tech industry. One of these powerful women was our Marketing and Events Manager, Chloe Murray. The theme was ‘Unveiling Unconventional Paths within the Tech Sector’ as each person discussed how people with little or no tech experience can thrive in the tech industry.
Chloe shared that she studied English and History at college and had “little to no knowledge of the tech industry”. She then joined Blacknight and has been here for over eight years where she became “very passionate” about technology. Read more about Chloe’s journey.
At the Guaranteed Irish Tech Summit, we also heard some great insights by the other panelists; Maureen O’Rourke (Head of Digital Transformation Programme at An Post), Susan Moss (Head of Public Policy & Government Relations for TikTok), Gina Laverty (CFO at Viatel Technology Group), as well as MC of the panel, Ann O’Dea (CEO & Founder of Silicon Republic). We gained an insight into each company’s use of innovation and how all tech businesses can play to their strengths.
We asked staff at Blacknight what advice they would give to people with a non-technical background who want an insight into how they can thrive in non-tech roles.
One person with an accounting background said “If you think something is going to be hard to understand then it will be. Technology can be a lot easier to learn and to understand than people think.” She enjoys how casual working in a tech company is and that it’s “not bogged down in old standards”.
Another member of staff with experience in a shop said they had to “learn everything from scratch” which makes it “easier to explain our products and services to our customers”. They explained that “technology is all around us, don’t be afraid to work in an IT role and to embrace it”. They enjoy “working with everyone from a different background in IT” as “it’s interesting to learn about new projects or developments every day and there is always something new”.
A staff member that worked in a fast-food restaurant said that if you can handle the fast-paced nature of the fast-food industry then “you can handle anything.” They enjoy the working-from-home opportunities that Blacknight and many tech companies offer.
A member with marketing experience said their background allows them to “see from the customer’s perspective”. When asked for advice, they said “Go for it, you will learn as you go” as they like the challenge that comes with their technology career.
Another member has experience in customer-facing roles before they worked at Blacknight which helps to resolve the problems of customers that were finding the technology difficult to understand. Their advice is “Don’t be afraid to branch out, it’s not as difficult as some think. It might just take a few times to figure things out but that is no different than any role.”
To find out more about the Guaranteed Irish Tech Forum, read here. We encourage anyone, regardless of their background, to work in technology. So, if you were thinking about it, this is your sign.
About the Author: Aoife Wright
