I am the Marketing Coordinator at Tiger Eye and I make sure that our message is delivered to the right people and in the right way. I work to deliver messages about technologies which are often complex in a way that makes their purpose and offering easy to understand. Every business is unique, so a key part of my role is also highlighting how our solutions and others on the market suit a range of needs but also interact with each other and how clients can built their own custom tech stack to make sure their IT architecture truly works for them.
How did you end up doing the job you're doing now?
I studied English Literature at UEA and after graduating with a First, I explored various avenues and directions, searching for interesting ways to apply my communication skills in the workplace. After meeting the team at Tiger Eye it was clear that that was where I wanted to be, and it’s great to be able to use my understanding of language in the world of technology. Although the transition from Arts degrees to Marketing is quite common, I think that working in the field of technology provides a rare opportunity for me to truly deconstruct how I write for different audiences, purposes and mediums and use those skills to engage our audience. A great thing about my role is the fact that I get to write a whole host of different things in different formats so my role definitely puts my writing skills to the test!
If you could say something to yourself before you started a career in tech what would it be?
You’re allowed to have fun with work. I think that there can be a tendency for B2B businesses, particularly those in the technology sector, to focus too heavily on the business of it all and forget that at the heart of the matter is people – humans with thoughts, feelings and emotions.
There can be a sort of stiffness; a resistance to trying out new things, a fear of showing your human side and a hesitation to get face to face – to direct your message to a person, to get to know them and to have fun with your approach. Something we really love to do at Tiger Eye is to explore a real range of channels – from traditional conferences to webinars, blogs, podcast features, thought leadership and more, to identify and interact with the people who need our help the most and to let them know that we’re here to support them.
I think that it’s only through showing your humanity, your passion and your openness that you can truly engage with the person behind the screen and create a relationship of trust and one with meaning.
What's the most challenging thing you've found about being a woman in tech?
That’s a tough one but I think maybe it’s confidence. Having the confidence to say that you don’t understand something and that you’re still learning can be really tough and that’s something that could definitely put pressure on someone.
With that I think it’s easy to sometimes lose your confidence in yourself, too – confidence that you’re the right person for the job, that you have what you need to succeed and that you’re truly trying your best. I’ve been so lucky and so fortunate that at Tiger Eye I’ve been supported by a fantastically friendly, open and honest team who have helped me to believe in myself and my work. I do feel that it’s with their help that I’ve been able to achieve, but also to have fun along the way with the confidence that their support is there when I need it.
Lockdown bonus questions:
How has lockdown affected your life and your job? Are you working from home? Furloughed?
Are you enjoying the downtime or can you not wait for things to go back to normal(ish)?
I’m working from home as normal – with Tiger Eye providing a range of software, services and solutions for working including a number of remote working offerings, we were more than prepared and ready to go when the time came.
Although the downtime has been lovely (I’ve just got a new sewing machine so my free time is jam-packed with sewing projects at the moment) I can’t wait to get back to the office and see everyone again.
I’m really lucky in that Tiger Eye have arranged a number of social events, including a virtual Task Master event to keep us connected – and to keep us laughing!
