The WomenTech Network reports that less than half of the world’s technology-related jobs are held by women. At Edgewater, we strive to change that narrative.
Since our founding in 2002, our mission has been to provide excellence in IT to our customers by empowering our employees with industry-leading benefits and the reliable support they deserve and need to do great work. We’re committed to strengthening the women at Edgewater and in our industry by continuing to foster a place where inclusivity, authenticity and creativity are valued.
Learn about some of the Women of Edgewater this International Women’s Day:
How did you find your way into the technology industry?
“I found my way into the technology industry during my first semester in college. I was pursuing early childhood education while being a full time nanny, the mother of the kids I cared for saw my potential and asked if I had ever considered being in IT, and luckily I had. Later on, I joined the IT department at a company she worked for as an IT Admin Assistant.
The main thing that keeps me interested in this field is that I am constantly learning new skills, techniques, best practices and the like. There is never a moment where I believe I know it all, and that is empowering and challenging to learn more in my career every day.”
Alexis Hosein, Cloud Technician
Why do you think it’s important to have more women in the tech industry?
“Women provide a diverse perspective and approach to technical challenges and problem-solving. We need this diversity in order to build better products, solutions and services that appeal to a wider audience.”
BeeJay Cooper, Client Services Director
What excites you about your work?
“What excites me about my work…being a part of one of the most in-demand and respected career disciplines in the world. Cyber security is so diverse with many areas of specialty and opportunity that essentially anyone can fine-tune their skill set and be successful in a cyber field. Also, being able to provide clients with a historical perspective of how cyber has evolved in DOE is incredibly rewarding – being in DOE cyber for 30 years provides you a wealth of history and insight that is fun to share. Finally, it is truly exciting for me to provide my clients with quality products that hopefully not only check a compliance box but enhance the overall program with clearly documented guidance and direction. Changing my career path to cyber security (so many years ago) was one of the best decisions I have ever made!”
Jamie Nicholson, Cyber Security Analyst
What advice would you pass on to a woman trying to enter this field?
“Since my degree is in project management rather than information technology, I found it helpful to consider the five stages of team development as applied to the field of technology when I look back (and continue to look forward) at my career:
Forming – excitement and anxiety
Storming – frustration and focus
Norming – acceptance and communication
Performing – satisfaction and problem-solving
Adjourning – successes and lessons-learned
My pathway to success included having the ability to identify and understand the phases of a career through experiences and outcomes, and not just in technical terms. By setting high expectations and remaining confident in one’s abilities, the benefits of bringing more diversity to the STEM field outweighs any obstacles created by gender stereotypes or lack of role models.
My advice is to look at a STEM career through these phases in an effort to make the journey more manageable and, remember, a degree in technology is not always necessary; much of the tasks involve planning and problem-solving, which in my opinion (sorry for the stereotype!) women are much better at!”
Jennifer Purcell, PMP, CISSP, Senior Cyber Security Analyst
Who has been the biggest influence in your career?
“My father was a Colonel, a medical doctor and a lawyer and he was by far my biggest influence. He showed me every day in words and deeds, that you can accomplish anything that you truly want to accomplish, with hard work, and kindness, that if you don’t know something, you can learn it. He said that people will either see you or they won’t see you, regardless of your words or actions so, the true measure of a person comes from actions unseen and words unrecognized, it’s in doing the right thing because that is who you choose to be and not because someone else acknowledges it.”
Tiffany Bjelke, Senior Facility Security Officer
Today – and every day – we celebrate the tremendous women we have at Edgewater. Thank you for being a part of our team and advancing our mission and the missions of our clients.
Interested in joining a team that supports your professional and personal growth? Explore our careers here.