Women in Tech

Giselle was only 15 years old when she was hired for her first IT job. She has worked in various roles through the years, from software development to business analysis. After enrolling in an MBA, where she developed leadership skills and confidence, she quickly became a Lead Developer of a global consultancy. Like other women in tech, she enjoys mentoring other women who would like to have a career in IT. Giselle shares her story below.

Where I started

I grew up in Brazil. My father worked in information technology (IT), and he encouraged me and other family members to pursue it. I was only 15 years old when I was hired for my first IT job which was an IT support officer. I studied IT for my undergraduate degree and later completed a Master of Computer Science.

In Brazil, the job market is very competitive, with many people applying for one position. To be more employable, you must study different things and be diverse and flexible instead of focusing on just one specialisation. I worked in many different roles in IT, such as software development and solutions design. I was a lecturer at a university for eight years. I have worked as a researcher, a business analyst and a data analyst. I have worked in many different environments, from the army, where I worked with the former Vice President of Brazil, Hamilton Mourão, to a business start-up. In 2017, I came to Australia with my husband and two children. It was hard for me. I felt homesick and missed my friends and family. Arriving in Australia, I had to learn English, I had to adapt to different resources, a new culture, and food while providing for my young children.

Why I chose KBS?

When I was studying English at Kaplan, I met a friend who was studying at Kaplan Business School. I looked into the MBA (Specialisation in Digital Management). Even though I have worked in IT in varied roles, what I liked about this MBA was that it taught me about the business side of digital management and not just the technical skills. I enjoyed working on group projects and participating in group discussions.

The MBA taught me about the business side of digital management and not just the technical skills

The Lecturers

James Adonopoulos

At KBS, I felt very supported in my studies and work life. My first teacher was James Adonopoulos, the Academic Dean at KBS. In his People and Culture class, I had many group discussions with people from all over the world who talked about what motivates them and how they lead their teams. I am now in a leadership position, and I apply what I learned in that class to help me manage diversity. Another important skill I learned was how to negotiate. Being in business, it is essential to be able to have those difficult conversations. James taught me how to be a good leader and kindly provided a recommendation letter to a company I was interviewing for.

Adam Murphy

Adam Murphy was another MBA lecturer who became my mentor. When I arrived in Australia, I felt lost because I had a wide variety of work experience and skills but did not know how to apply them in the Australian market. I worked wherever I could to finance my studies and support my family. Adam advised me that I did not have to continue with these jobs but fight for jobs I was good at and was interested in. Adam taught a class where we learned how to check the job market and what roles were feasible. I learned that the jobs I wanted to apply for could be listed under different job names, and I needed to know which relevant keywords to search for. He guided us through the process of finding the right match. He also helped us practice our interview skills and write our CVs. This class was my ‘disruption moment’; I changed my mindset from doubting myself to knowing confidently that I can get a job.

Careers Central

The Careers Central team at KBS invited me to network events during the year and helped me build my LinkedIn account. They helped me find the right people on LinkedIn to talk to and companies I would be interested in working for, and showed me how to connect with the right groups and message like-minded people for a quick catchup. I now have close to 4000 connections on my LinkedIn profile. While studying, I worked in hospitality while completing an internship in data analysis at Davidson (a recruitment company) that the Careers Central team organised for me. It involved data extraction and transformation and presenting the results concisely to the team. As Davidson was a recruitment company, I could network with colleagues who had insights into the job market and advised me on resume writing and job listings. I was soon hired as a software developer at Ixonn, a technology solutions company.

My Advice

1. Self-awareness is the key

You need to find out where you fit in. Know yourself and know your skills. Surround yourself with people who can support you and give you the advice to help you identify where you would like to work.

2. Set realistic goals

A goal does not need to be big; it can be small, and as you take each step, your confidence will grow. For example, previously, I set a goal that today I would send 2 CVs with two cover letters and research five different positions on LinkedIn or this week I would meet up with one person from LinkedIn to have a coffee with. As your confidence grows, fight for the job you want. Never give up. I received a lot of no's before I received my first ‘yes’. But I never gave up.

3. Just try

Some people worry that they cannot fit into the Australian culture or work. However, Australia is very diverse. Every company is different. There may be companies that are not a good fit for you and some that are. You will not know if you do not try.

Where am I now?

Since 2021, I have been the Lead Developer for a global technology consultancy called Thoughtworks, where I manage several teams. We are in 18 different countries with over 12,500 employees and are listed on the NASDAQ. I enjoy working here as it has a great culture. Different perspectives are invited. The company is transparent and communicates with us openly about everything. They are inclusive, empower women and help people grow. My work is diverse. I have attended technology events in different cities. I am in a mentoring program where I mentor and am mentored. I manage and facilitate debates and tech discussions. I recently gave a talk at the XConf Australia 2022 on Tech leadership for everyone. My team projects are a combination of coding, assessments and research for various clients, not just technology. In 3 to 5 years, I aim to progress and be Thought Works’ Principal Engineer.

I also have a personal project. I support IT.BR which is a community organisation moving from Brazil to Australia. As a woman working in IT, I want to mentor other women who would like to begin a career in technology. I enjoy helping people who are settling into Australia and starting to find work - they are going through what I have been through.

Want to connect with Giselle?

You can find her on LinkedIn.

"Have you ever asked yourself: how are my self-beliefs and mindset affecting my career success?" Click Here to read what Giselle had to say about creating the right mindset for career success, 2 years ago, when she was a student at the Kaplan Business School.

Interested in a career in technology? Check out our IT courses and MBA (specialisation in Digital Management).