Women in IT – Susanne Scott
Next in our series of ‘Women in IT’ blogs is Susanne Scott, Major Account Manager in our Voluntary Sales Team …
How long have you been in the industry?
I have been in the industry nine years, starting my IT Sales journey at Phoenix Software in October 2010.
What roles have you held?
- Customer Service Representative
- Business Development Manager
- Telesales Executive
- Sales Support Executive
- Account Executive
- Major Account Manager
- Team Leader
How long at Phoenix?
Nine years
What made you choose IT?
Being completely honest, after finishing university, having a long summer travelling and then falling into two short term temp roles, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be. I simply applied for jobs based on my areas of interest or experience. It was purely coincidence that led me to interview for three similar roles in IT, one at a distributor and two for resellers. The salary was a little better in this industry than I had seen advertised elsewhere (which is always useful) and after meeting with the sales director and team leader at Phoenix I immediately knew it was the right opportunity for me. Not because of the role or industry specifically but for the company and the people. I got a great vibe from each person I met at my interviews and was thrilled when they offered me the job.
Did you face any challenges when starting out in the industry?
I don’t think I faced any more challenges than anyone else when they start out in this industry. The main challenge for anyone coming into IT sales as new, is the breadth of the technologies available and therefore the amount of information that people need to learn is far beyond what I was expecting. The industry is forever changing and therefore you can feel overwhelmed at times, especially when starting out, but the constant challenge is also what keeps it exciting and interesting.
What changes have you seen in the industry and Phoenix over the years?
It would be easier to list what hasn’t changed in the nine years I have joined Phoenix! We all know technology is constantly changing so that is a given. From having technology deployed on premise, to the introduction of virtualisation and now the cloud…what will come next! One of the main changes that impacts my job is when vendors or partners merge or collapse. Luckily in our case, when Phoenix was bought by the Bytes Technology Group, we have only witnessed change for the good. With the incorporation of Phoenix into the Bytes technology group we now have a work from home policy, enhanced maternity package and flexible working hours. They have invested heavily in additional staff to support the Account Managers, enabling us to offer more services and skills to our customers.
What can be done to encourage more women into IT?
IT is a very fast-paced, demanding industry. I think some women think they cannot juggle home and work life successfully, however the addition of flexible working and work from home can help juggle the day to day duties of being a mum and having a career. Phoenix have recently announced an enhanced maternity and paternity package. This not only helps financially but also gives the message that Phoenix as an employee is supportive of women having families as well as careers.
