Lisa Marena

Lisa Marena

What did you study (at school, college or university)?
I started with A Level Computer Studies and Home Economics then went onto University to study a degree in Computer Science. I realised I didn't want to be a programmer and it was geared to that so changed to the Business Studies course.

How did you get into technology?
As I left University and like many others I had no idea what I wanted to do. I started off by doing some temporary admin roles then within a few weeks decided to move to London to look at opportunities there. When I arrived in London I signed up with some recruiters and I was then put forward for a role in an small insurance brokers to do their IT support. I had no experience of this role and didn't know what it meant. That was the start of my career into Technology. As a company 20+ years ago they wanted a more diverse workforce and took a chance on me and supported me in my training. I really enjoyed it and then moved onto team leading and management over subsequent years as realised important to play to my strength which is team management.

What company do you work for?
Just Eat

What do you do at your current company?
Head of Enterprise IT

What advice would you give to girls looking to get into a tech related career?
Don't worry that you have not done a technology course as not always important if you want a career in Technology. There are many different roles that my school was not aware of such as Project Management, IT support, UX design, Management and many more that do not require training beforehand. You can learn while you work and soft skills also just as important. Also don't be afraid to look at for apprenticeships and graduate schemes as a great way to also start your first role too. Don't rule out tech because your teacher didn't necessarily understand how to translate what you are learning to the workplace.

Also look for work experience opportunities as also another great way to get a taste of what roles are available. Also sign-up to careers events, and tap into free resources such as STEM Learning. I volunteer as do many of my colleagues to help inspire young people and give them as much information as possible to it can help them when they are making the subject choices or an insight into what direction they want to go in. The soft skills are as important as the technical and don't be afraid to sell them too in an interview.