Systems Analyst Team Leader
ICT

I don’t consider myself to be a very technical person. I do feel that I have more people and communication skills.

Rita has a job in the IT industry that relies on communication rather than technical skills.

She is a Systems Analyst with a software company. The job is based in the computer world and bridges the gap between what companies want and the technical people who develop the systems.

“I Interview and talk to the end users of IT to find out exactly what their requirements are, document these and take it to the programmers.”

Communication skills in all forms are important for this job. Being able to talk to people and listen and understand what they are saying. Being open minded but also being able to take control of a situation and bring it back on the right path.

Rita worked as a dental nurse on leaving school and then took a break to bring up her children. When she was ready to go back to work she wanted to do something different.

So how did she move into IT?

Encouraged to explore different options she decided to do a degree course in Systems Information which is not the programming side of IT and uses more ‘soft’ skills such as communication, organisation and negotiation.

Rita had no idea that it was unusual for a woman to do this course. The staff at the university actively encouraged women into computing.

“The first indication I got that it was unusual was at registration when I was met with a sea of 18 year old lads. I felt like the only woman and a mature woman at that.”

Rita soon settled into the course. 

“The atmosphere very good and it is the only time in my life I have ever really felt that I was in a totally non sexist, non ageist environment and that every body there was there for the same reason.”

Rita did a work placement year at the local hospital and did a temporary job there after leaving university. From there she found a job as a Support Analyst for a finance house and then into her present job. Rita has been promoted to Team Leader and 50% of her job involves managing the team.

What does Rita find most satisfying about her job?

She enjoys the variety in her job. It is Important to her to have people contact, use communication skills and feel valued by people who have respect for her knowledge and skills.

Rita feels that she has been lucky in that she has always had a supportive work environment. Her current company has organised training (e.g. in organisational skills and dealing with conflict) to help her develop her soft skills.

So is this mainly a job for men?

Her current team has more women than men in it. The women were chosen because they were the best people for the job.

“One line of thought is that women can be better at this job. Women can be better listeners and communicators with a better intuition for what people are saying, not just the words they are saying but what they actually mean."

Rita says there is a degree of sexism in most jobs.

“There can be sarcastic remarks when things get tense and it’s easy to make women a scapegoat by making some joke about hysterical women. This can be annoying at times.”

Rita believes that IT is no more difficult to fit in with family responsibilities than other jobs. Her company has a flexi-time system and is helpful to both men and women who have family responsibilities.

What advice would Rita give to young people interested in a career in ICT?

“Forget about stereotypes – it’s not really the case. There are different types of people in IT. Find out all you can about the variety of jobs in the industry.”

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