Victoria Johnston is the Machine Learning IT Analyst at Allstate.
Here, Victoria Johnston sits down with Sync NI to talk about the Tech Trailblazer challenge, sharing her journey into a tech career, what her daily work looks like, and why Allstate is a brilliant place to grow and build your skills.
Have you always had an interest in technology and was there a specific person or source of inspiration that led you into your current career path?
I have always been interested in pursuing a career in STEM. Originally, I wanted to study Technology and Design as I love the combination of creativity, science and engineering. My uncle has a very successful career in technology and he encouraged me to try out the IT side of things, and after spending a week doing a work experience at his company, I quickly changed my degree path to Computer Science.
What would you consider to be the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of your job?
For me, I love programming. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle; you try different approaches, most likely encounter some errors, but it’s very rewarding to complete a project and to have solved that puzzle in the end. Especially in Allstate, our projects have a direct impact on millions across the globe and improving our company.
In terms of career development, how important is it to build a professional network and attend industry events?
Technology is moving at a very fast pace; things are changing all the time. Having insights into what’s happening across the industry is so important in staying up to date and relevant. It also expands your awareness of other areas in the industry you might discover an interest in, so I think it’s always an extremely beneficial way to take the right steps forward in the career path you are passionate about.
How much impact can a mentor have on your personal development?
If you have the opportunity for mentorship in your career, grab it with both hands and take total advantage of it. It’s an amazing experience to talk to someone who has “been there, done that” to learn from their skills, knowledge and experiences in how they became successful in their career.
What guidance would you offer to any young person on why they should consider a career in technology?
The amazing thing about the technology industry is that it offers a diverse career path. There are so many different roles that exist out there that you can try out and find out what you are most passionate about. Any job within the tech industry has such a huge role in shaping how we as a society work, so it’s incredibly exciting to be a part of that!
What advice would you give to women considering a career change or who are returning to work who might be daunted at the prospect of working in what can be perceived as a male dominated industry?
There are always amazing support networks to guide and build you up, like the Women in Technology group at Allstate. There’s so much inspiration to be taken from the success stories of other women in your industry to motivate you to develop and grow, andultimately thrive in your career.
For those who may not come from a STEM background, what other career opportunities exist within the tech sector beyond software engineering?
There are a lot of moving parts to getting a project off the ground, which means there are a lot of different rolesrequired to work together. There are areas from project management, sales and marketing, user experience and HR that all play a vital role in the development of a product that don’t involve coding all day.
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