What I Do I consult with customers to identify their business problems and design technology solutions to provide positive outcomes. I am considered a "Sales Engineer" since I have to understand how networking (including all forms of connectivity and hardware), security, and applications function together to provide the proper outcomes to meet customer's needs and solve their business problems.
Why Engineering? I started out wanting to be an Architect of buildings. My father was a Builder and General contractor, so I grew up around the industry, and helped him during the summers. I only worked for 3 years in the building industry and then was encouraged by my sister to apply to the telecommunications company she worked for and I've stayed in this industry for over 40 years now. I never aspired to working in the field of Telecommunications, but once here, I found my niche on the technical side of things.
School Days Porter and Chester Technical Institute -- Associates Degree in Architectural Drafting During my career, I've earned approximately 15 certifications including a CyberSecurity certification from Rutgers University. Most of my engineering experience and education is in the form of on the job training and industry certifications.
My Day At Work My day includes continuing education every day (1-2 hours) to keep up with technological advances in my industry, especially now that Telecommunications is such a broad term. I typically have as many as 4-5 1-hour long customer calls during the day to either do discovery of customer needs, gather more information, or present solutions I've designed. I also mentor and teach other non-technical roles about the technology, and once a design/solution is sold to a customer, I help enable the sale for accurate submission.
Best Part I enjoy figuring out how things work together, and designing a solution that truly meets a customer's needs. It's fulfilling to see something I've designed and helped to sell, working well and as intended for a customer.
Proud Moments Being recognized as a leader within my organization and by my peers. It took me many years to realize just doing your job well is not enough. You have to be willing to live larger than your comfort zone, and also let others know what we are doing. Our bosses generally notice we are doing a good job, but they won't take note of outstanding achievements unless you let them know about them. We, as women, tend to stay in the background, and we need to let others know about our accomplishments.
Challenges One challenge I've met throughout my career, is the unspoken bias against women in responsible, well-paying roles, especially in technical fields. I remember interviewing for a manager's role, and the hiring manager initially told me he was going to give the job to a man "because he had a family to support", and when I countered that I was a single mother with 3 children who also had a family to support, he then countered that he didn't want me to "risk' taking an important job like this because I might risk being able to take care of my children. He also felt as a single parent I might not be able to focus to do a good job. This would not even have come up if he was interviewing a man. It was obvious he didn't want to hire me since I was a woman. You run into that unspoken bias often, and even in my current role, some people assume I don't have the talent/skills to do the job and will defer to a man in the same role. You have to learn to be strong in the knowledge that you "know your stuff", and stick up for yourself. I've learned to be a strong woman. But, that is a double-edged sword because if you are strong, some people turn it against you, saying that you are abrasive, even though the same message delivered from a man would be accepted as strength.
My Family I have 5 children and 8 grandchildren, most who live distant from me. It's been difficult during Covid quarantine to only be able to video-chat with them. I am also divorced and helped my partner raise his children, who are now college age. My daughter and 3 year old granddaugher live with us, and I provide childcare for her during this Covid quarantine to allow my daughter to work outside the home.
Dreams and Goals I am nearing the end of my career, with already 40+ years in. I plan to continue working for my current employer for 1-2 more years, always look for ways to add value, or move into more challenging roles. I have an online health and wellness business that I am currently building part time, and plan on expanding and working for years on that. My goal is to work part time at a career that I can work anywhere which will allow me to travel the world with family and friends.
Inspiration I believe in God and that we are all wonderfully made. Everyone has unique skills and talents and I believe there is abundance all around us. Anyone can take advantage of it if they open themselves up to unlimited possibilities.
Want to be an Engineer? I believe some of us are given the talent and intelligence to comprehend how things can be arranged to create something. Not everyone has that talent. If you feel you have the skills and talent and interest in this subject, you should go for it! Don't let other people's opinions stop you from going after what you want. I also believe it is good to try different things. If you don't like something, you can always change your field. The world is changing and there are new fields and jobs being developed every day. One endeavor might expose you to something else that you truly enjoy.
Hobbies Outside of work, I keep myself busy with reading, writing, knitting, cooking and caring for my family. I also volunteer often at my church. I live by the beach and enjoy walking and riding my bicycle along the shoreline, and swimming. I also practice yoga to stay fit and flexible.