Stephanie Eta
Stephanie Eta took part in the Professional Pathway (PP) scheme at City, University of London. She now works as an Azure App Innovation Specialist at Microsoft.
What made you decide to join the Professional Pathway scheme?
I wanted to graduate with my eyes wide open. The Professional Pathway scheme gave me the opportunity to explore different career paths and get a real life experience of working in tech and applying my degree to the real world. It was a great opportunity to stand out because not many people can say they have graduated with three years of relevant experience.
What roles did you do whilst on the Professional Pathway scheme?
I worked as a manual and automation software tester.
How did the scheme help you find work on graduation?
The proof is in the pudding. For me it was a game changer, by the time I had graduated I was well equipped to manage my career. I was comfortable with handling interviews, working as a professional and most importantly it gave me the confidence that I can indeed succeed in the industry because I had been doing it for three years already.
Describe your career journey since graduation
About two years after graduating I decided to change my career. I pivoted from software testing to presales. I have done several presales roles since and now I am doing an Azure Sales Specialist role at Microsoft.
Are there any lessons you want to share with current Professional Pathway applicants?
Fail fast. I really embraced the notion of failing fast and getting up again. It is something you need to get comfortable with in your career and life. You won’t know everything, sometimes you will be uncomfortable but embrace it and learn from your mistakes. In my first year of PP I didn’t realise how much work It actually was and I didn’t study hard enough; after one bad exam I started prioritising my time better.
I also learnt to let my work speak for itself. You may end up being one of the youngest people in the team but if you deliver value then your background, gender or age will not be much of a factor.
Any final message about the Professional Pathway scheme?
Honestly it’s one of the best things I have done - my career feels very much intentional rather than accidental. It taught me how to work hard and really apply myself. It isn’t the common path but it is an amazing story to tell and there aren’t much people who won’t admire the tenacity it takes to work full time whilst studying.
It made me relentless and bold, I realised that most of the ‘barriers’ we think exist are mostly just in our minds and fuelled by fear. I have tried my best to test these ‘barriers’ and have gotten some amazing results.