Five years ago I started my journey with Avanade, when I joined as an Analyst via the graduate program. Back then as a new migrant, I was truly grateful that I was able to land a job at an amazing company close to my heart as I worked on Avanade projects at Accenture in the Philippines before moving to Australia.

What motivates you about working in Security at Avanade?

When I gave birth to my baby I was really amazed about the role midwives have in our community, as they help to deliver the most precious beings into this world. Touching lives is a noble profession. I asked myself, What does my profession contribute to the community and to the country?

And the answer is, we also provide services back to the community. Yes, they cannot see us, but we are there in the background ensuring their personal and sensitive data is safe and available whenever they need it.

Now more than ever, we are dependent on technology in all aspects of our life - from checking our bank accounts to shopping or getting health check results from an app. Cyberattacks are becoming more commonplace and one attack alone can impact millions of people at a time, for example an attack on a Government organization can shut down services provided to citizens. As individuals we are all vulnerable and frequently exposed to suspicious activity.

We help our clients improve their Security posture and attain their Security goals. We genuinely care about protecting them that can directly impact their businesses, employees and customers.

My 5 lessons working as a IT Security consultant:

1. Listen to your clients and genuinely provide care for their needs. (Credit to one of my Technical leads before, I’ve learned it from her)
2. Keep going and trust the process. You need time to learn and improve yourself.
3. Speak. Ask the right questions and always ask what is expected on your role to give yourself time, clear direction, and opportunity to align yourself to those expectations. When it’s overwhelming, pause and reach out. 
4. Put your hands up on the challenges even if it's scary. You will learn a lot. If you fail, take a quick break, or walk outside, and continue working on it. You will always have room to grow.
5. Regardless of your career level, you will find challenges and sometimes you don’t know what you are doing and that is okay. Be it a new technology or skills you don’t have. This is where one of the most important soft skills you should have comes into play, being resourceful. Either through searching the right information on one of the greatest inventions on the planet, aka The Internet or reaching out to your Avanade community of IT experts and professionals. This is our greatest asset, our community.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Exactly where I am now. Having a sense of accomplishment whenever we help our clients protect their organizations and helping them serve their customers and the community. For the me of today and the future, I will continue to have this growth mindset in this ever-changing technology landscape.

What makes you Avanade proud?

I’m so proud that Avanade is capable of supporting women especially working mothers on their journey to motherhood while also attaining their career milestones. I’m thankful for all the opportunities and trust given to me, however I still feel nervous to put my hands up or to accept challenges every now and then. But one thing is for sure, I will not be alone on this journey. I am confident I can find the right support professionally or technically, I just need to speak and reach out!