by Edna Corredor Vega, TechUPWomen Alumna
Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Edna Corredor and I am a doctor in physics. All my career I have been working within the academic sector. I love technology and the multiple solutions it brings to our everyday life. I have been looking for opportunities to move into a position within the commercial technology industry, and I also took a career break to become a mother – which just happened during the TechUPWomen project.
I would like to talk about my journey at TechUPWomen. It all started when I read a tweet from Prof. Sue Black announcing that the programme applications were opened! Honestly, I could not sleep well for a week thinking about the possibility of retraining in a tech career, the huge, new exciting things that I could learn, and the chance to be part of a network of women passionate about tech. I was dreaming about this huge opportunity to open other career alternatives aligned with my background.
For all of you interested in tech and searching for opportunities, here are some of my remarks about the programme.
You don’t need previous knowledge to start pursuing the TechUPWomen training, all you need is passion for learning and time commitment.
In order to deliver the high-quality content, TechUP uses different platforms. So, materials are varied and very accessible, which means that you can catch up with your learning from anywhere and at anytime.
The TechUPWomen administrative team utilises many channels of communication, namely email, Microsoft teams, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which allows to keep participants engaged in the more preferred way, not only with learning but also with important news, opportunities in tech, etc.
Within the TechUPWomen programme there is support from every angle, whether you need help from the administrative team, programme partners, mentors, and the community of participants itself, you will never feel alone in this journey. All the resources are there to help you succeed if you need them.
The weekend residentials were my favourite part of the programme. It was the perfect chance to meet other participants and share experiences, cheer ourselves up, witness every one of the TechUPWomen breaking barriers and undergoing personal growth in many aspects. Also, an amazing opportunity to meet renowned speakers, listen to their stories and learn invaluable lessons. These weekends were utterly inspiring and very intense, every minute was worth it.
To complete the programme and hit the deadlines, you should make a time commitment of at least two hours per day. This is challenging for busy mums like myself, on top of other responsibilities like a full-time job. Nevertheless, good organisation skills and a driven mind, plus the programme’s flexibility, make it easier to finish the course by the final deadline.
I have gained so much by being a TechUPWoman. I am part of an incredible community/network, where the awesome TechUPWomen are always there to support, help and encourage you in your tech journey.
I have gained confidence from being part of this excellent programme. Its great content gave me a broad perspective of the tech industry, provided me with core knowledge and strengthened my soft skills – all necessary for developing a career into the commercial technology sector.
Proudly, I am now a certified Agile Project Manager, all sponsored by the programme.
I am very grateful to everyone that has worked to make TechUPWomen possible.
