CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 16
Why did you decide to major in business
in college at a time when it was rare for
women to take that career path?
the gross domestic product of the United States. If you
I was one of only three women in the University of West
are going to get filled. They're just going to get filled in
Georgia's school of business in the late 1970s, and it
another country. We have to get more women excited
really happened by accident. I was working three jobs
about IT so that this vital and well-paid work does not
and putting myself through undergraduate school when
go offshore.
one of the professors advertised that he would pay $5.00
per hour for help with a market research study. That was
three times what I was making in other jobs, and I was
lucky - no one else even applied. The professor, Walter
look at the jobs that are the fastest growing and the best
paid, they're all either in the medical field or IT. Women
are going into the medical field, but not IT. These jobs
You started working in IT at a senior
position without having any IT
experience. How did that happen?
Wood, had patented the idea for frozen orange juice
concentrate. I worked with him in mining large volumes
I had been serving as the assistant to the CEO, and he
of data to find trends and patterns. It turned out I was
asked if I would take a position as a regional CIO at one
really good at that, and he suggested I get a business
of our operating companies. I thought, "I'm not qualified
degree. I said, "I don't really know anything about
for that job," but I did not know how to say no to him.
business. Nobody in my family has been in business."
I took the job and really felt like a fish out of water for
But I took a couple of business classes and got hooked.
about six months. One of the things I write about in the
I think it's very hard to be something you've never
book is that a comfort zone is a very dangerous place to
seen. For example, most women don't even think about
be. It's where we all want to be because that's where we
going into IT, because they don't know anyone who
feel safe and valued and appreciated. But if you want
works in this field and so they don't have a mentor or
to reach your full potential, you've got to be willing
role model. Several recent studies cite this as a major
to step outside that comfort zone on a pretty regular
reason we are not seeing young women pursue degrees
basis. If you're not willing to put yourself out there and
or work in this field.
fail, you're never going to learn and get the experience
If you look at the number of women who have entered
the workforce since 1970, we've added 25 percent to
that qualifies you for the next job. The most important
learning we get is through on-the-job experience. I was
" A comfort zone is a very dangerous place to be. It's where we all want
to be because that's where we feel safe and valued and appreciated. But
if you want to reach your full potential, you've got to be willing to step
outside that comfort zone on a pretty regular basis. "
CIO Straight Talk | 16
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6
Contents
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Cover1
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Contents
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 3
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 4
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 5
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 6
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 7
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 8
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 9
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 10
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 11
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 12
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 13
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 14
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 15
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 16
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 17
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 18
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 19
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 20
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 21
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 22
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 23
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 24
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 25
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 26
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 27
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 28
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 29
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 30
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 31
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 32
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 33
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 34
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 35
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 36
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 37
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 38
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 39
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 40
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 41
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 42
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 43
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 44
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 45
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 46
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 47
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 48
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 49
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 50
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 51
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 52
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 53
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 54
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 55
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 56
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 57
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 58
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 59
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 60
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 61
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 62
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 63
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 64
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 65
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 66
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - InsertA
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 67
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - InsertB
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 68
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 69
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 70
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 71
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 72
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 73
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - 74
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Cover3
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 6 - Cover4
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https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/assetheavy2020
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https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue10
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https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue6
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue5
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue4
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue3
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue2
https://magazine.straighttalkonline.com/issue1
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