Dataprise Women in Technology: Meet Kristina

Tell us your story about how you built a career in technology.

Kristina: I started my career in technology after I graduated college and got an entry-level role at Dataprise. As my career at Dataprise progressed over the next 4 years, I have become more involved on the technology side, from learning and writing about how different technologies can help businesses achieve their goals to implementing and updating HTML code on the company’s website.

Can you share a little bit about what you do and what a typical day for you is like?

As a Digital Marketing Strategist, my focus is to find ways to optimize our online presence and drive traffic and conversions on our website. While no day is exactly like another, some of my typical tasks include analyzing data in Google Analytics to make strategic changes, updating HTML throughout different pages on our website, researching SEO updates and trends and reviewing our SEO footprint, meeting with teammates and other departments to develop new pages and products, and executing our digital public relations strategy.

Did you always know that working in technology was what you wanted to do?

Kristina: Not at all! I studied theater and public relations in college, so when I found an opening at Dataprise, I thought I would take a leap of faith and try out the tech industry. I had always been interested in technology and computers, but since I wasn’t technical, I never considered that there could be a role that would be a good fit for me. I’m glad I took a chance, because now I am incredibly happy in my career as a tech marketer!

What is one piece of advice you’d give to young women looking to get into the technology field?

Be confident in your knowledge, but don’t be afraid to keep learning! Technology is constantly changing and there’s always something new. At times it can be intimidating, especially if others around you seem like they know it all, but don’t let this stop you from sharing your thoughts and ideas. Utilize all the great resources out there (e.g., blogs, training courses, tech publications) to keep expanding your knowledge!

Looking back, what did you wish you had known as you started to build your technology career?

Explore all of your options! The tech industry itself is incredibly broad, from outsourced IT providers like Dataprise, to SaaS companies, in-house IT departments, and mobile apps. The list goes on. Even if you are not textbook technical, you can pursue a career in the tech industry because at the heart of it all, each tech company is still a company that needs employees to work in various areas such as account management, human resources, finance, and marketing. The most important thing is to explore what’s out there and find a place to start that you think is a good fit for you – then you can go from there.

What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?

I think the best part is being able to bring a different viewpoint to the table in a male-dominated industry. My hope is that by being a woman working in technology, I can help pave the way and inspire other women to join the field and pursue their career goals.

What is it that you enjoy most about your current job at Dataprise?

I love that I am given not only the space to voice and share my ideas with my team and leaders in other departments, but also the freedom to experiment with new tactics to flex my creativity while analyzing my efforts and pivoting where necessary.

Where do you see yourself going from here?

I’d like to continue down the digital marketing path and enhance my marketing skillset by getting certified in Google Adwords and taking a few courses in user experience.