What is my current role now?

I am an Oracle Database Administrator working with an international company.

What I Studied

I studied computer science.

My Work Experience

I have been working in IT for about 30 years in diverse sectors – Education (University), Consultancy, Professional Services, Wholesale, Banking, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas. I have worked in different roles ranging from Technical to Management.

Whom I networked with/supported me on my journey?

It’s good to network with contemporaries (either classmates from school or colleagues you have worked with in the past).  I got my job in the oil and gas sector through recommendations from past colleagues who believed in me and my skills.  I also have a “GOTO” person like a mentor who gives me advice and encourages me in my career path.

Challenges faced and how I overcame them

During my career, the obvious challenge I face being a female and of a BAME background is, you have to prove yourself.  You can only do this when things go wrong, and you can fix it

My most obvious value comes when things go wrong (but otherwise, the better I do my job, the more invisible I become because everything goes “hunky-dory” – just fine). And believe me, things do go wrong. Disks fill up, and they pack up – always at the worst possible times. Also, all RDBMSs have bugs, even Oracle. The database may crash unexpectedly one day, or just hang up and go on strike – or perhaps just start to run slowly (perhaps the worst scenario of all, in some ways).

Tips/Wisdom for someone looking for a career in the profession

For anyone looking at getting into my kind of profession, apart from being very good in your Sciences and Maths, there are some soft skills you require – you need to be able to work under pressure, have multitasking skills, have ‘patience’, be able to troubleshoot problems, just to name a few.

I love my job and I am treated fairly and with respect.  The most important things to me are the flexibility to balance work and family life and the excellent benefits.

I would leave these last words here, “Do what you believe in! Believe in who you are or whom you’ll become in the future!  Don’t let anyone look down on you!  Take the right steps at the right time