Amy Hanson

The skills I use most in my job...

Teamwork - This is integral in IT and is a great way to develop your skills further. I enjoy working with others and also bring my own ideas to the table

Problem Solving - There is a lot of Troubleshooting and Problem solving involved in my job. I break down aspects of a problem and work through each step till I reach a conclusion.

Cyber Security - This is something I am passionate about and apply to my day to day to better protect our company. This includes alerting users to vulnerabilities and ensuring users are up to date.

Initiative - I find this important as it is important to take the step to initiate a job yourself that could improve things. I have done this when I have identified something that needs changing and presented documentation to support the changes.

Time Management - Being able to manage time is important. Often there are problems in IT that can take too long on your own. Knowing when you have taken too long on something is important so you can then seek help to get the job done quicker.

The most interesting thing I've worked on in my career so far...

In my last job it was interesting to work through the rush of the first lockdown. Time had to be planned stringently to ensure everyone in the firm was supported and had a laptop. We had to come up with a quick way to build laptops in a safe way. Further to this we also had to consider the need for phone lines and so had to roll out an application that would allow users to phone clients and internal staff. we also provided them with headsets.

What inspired me into digital and tech...

My initial introduction to tech was via gaming. I often had to troubleshoot my own problems relating to games I played, this would range from game crashes to networking issues. Eventually I started to realise I enjoyed solving these types of problems and started to look at getting into IT. Infrastructure was my main focus point at the time as I was always amazed at how people could be connected from all over the world. This then shifted towards Cyber security as I started getting passionate about keeping people safe online.

My educational background is...

Initially I studied Computer and Video Games at university but I soon realised the industry was scarce and competitive. I worked a few jobs after university until I decided to take on an apprenticeship to start developing my career. Through this I gained valuable skills and Certifications which include Networking fundamentals, Coding and logic, Business processes, Cloud Fundamentals, and mobility and Device Fundamentals. After my apprenticeship I continued to up skill in areas such as Cyber Security and Cloud platforms.

What advice I'd give to girls thinking about a career in digital and tech...

One of the things I always tell people who are sat on the fence about getting into Tech is that the job is very rewarding and offers you the opportunities to progress. With IT and Tech in general being so vast the areas you can go into are varied and fulfilling. Don't let the male dominance in the sector scare you! The tech community is one of the most supportive groups out there and likeminded people are always happy to help you and give you the knowledge needed to progress your career.

Job type tags:

Analysis Cybersecurity Problem-solving and developing solutions