Celebrating Women in AV and Tech: Insights from the Hamilton Robson team!

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In honour of International Women’s Day this year, we had a chat with some of the women at Hamilton Robson, a company that strives to ensure a positive working environment for women in the traditionally male-dominated AV and tech industry. In this blog, we hear from Chloe, Philippa, Eadaoin, and Rachel on their experiences, advice for women considering a career in tech, and how Hamilton Robson supports their personal and professional growth!

Chloe McAree, Senior Software Engineer

What made you look for a career in tech, and why do you enjoy working in this industry? 

I have always been a natural problem solver – making, breaking and creating things has always been my entertainment. Software Engineering felt like a natural fit for me as it gives me a place to take my ideas and make them a reality. The ability to build projects that can touch every aspect of our lives and be used by people across the world is one of the reasons why I love my job and it continues to inspire me.

How does Hamilton Robson support your personal development and help you to thrive?

I have been working at Hamilton Robson for just over a year now and I absolutely love it. I have been given the opportunity to work with a range of different technologies, architect and implement secure, scalable services and demo to our clients.

Hamilton Robson has encouraged me to push myself out of my comfort zone and have supported me with speaking at number of technology conferences over the past year, most notably AWS re:invent in Las Vegas, which is one of the largest cloud conferences in the world. Hamilton Robson has given me the tools and training I have needed to succeed in all these opportunities.

What advice would you give to other women considering going into tech?

I would encourage anyone considering a career in Software Engineering, to look into some of the amazing community driven technology groups that are available.

One of my personal favourites is Women Who Code, they are a global non-profit organisation, with a mission “To inspire women to excel in technology careers”. They provide resources, host study groups, meet-ups and conferences to help provide individuals with role models that they can look to for help and support within their career.

 

Eadaoin McDonagh, Client Services and Helpdesk Manager

What made you look for a career in AV? Why do you enjoy working in this industry? 

I have always had a keen interest in the tech industry – I find it to be super exciting, constantly evolving with new technologies and new opportunities.

How does Hamilton Robson support your personal development and help you to thrive?

In the 4+ years I have worked here, I feel as though I have been constantly stimulated to grow and develop. I have always been encouraged to be myself and trusted to build great relationships with customers. With the support and shared knowledge of my colleagues across all teams, I have been able to upskill and develop into other areas of the business such as Project Management. This has been invaluable so far for my development and to help me strengthen my people management skills too.

What advice would you give to other women considering going into the AV industry?  

I have often suffered with imposter syndrome and felt that I didn’t have the ability or knowledge to do my job, but once you put yourself out of your comfort zone you will build confidence-  it will become second nature. Believe once you put your mind to something and if you believe in yourself you can accomplish anything. It’s okay to not have all the answers, it’s important to have a good relationship with your colleagues so that you ask for help and as a result you will absorb/learn so much more from them.

It’s in my nature to always try and incorporate a bit of light heartedness into every situation, while remaining professional obviously. Customers are humans like us – everyone wants both a positive outcome, and to have the craic from time to time!

Zuzana Sokolova, Procurement Lead, EMEA Territory

What made you look for a career in tech, and why do you enjoy working in this industry?

I consider myself a tech person and have always been interested in technology and found it fascinating, but I didn’t look for a career in it – I’ve simply fallen into it! I was headhunted by Hamilton Robson 6 years ago and I was the first female working for Hamilton Robson – someone needed to organise the boys 😉. Jokes aside, at that time we were a very small company, so right from the beginning my role was across many sectors which was exciting as every day brought new challenges.

How does Hamilton Robson support your personal development and help you to thrive?

I was involved working across several sectors from day one, which allowed me to learn new things. There were many challenges where I needed to find a way to make them work but I’ve always felt supported by our management. I’ve always felt that any direction I want to move and develop professionally or personally, there is always a support behind me.

What advice would you give to other women considering going into tech?

If you feel that you have a technical mind and it is an industry you’d like to explore, then don’t be afraid to drop us an email or give us a call. We are a friendly bunch who can help you to find a way to get there. We have so many new roles coming up but even if you don’t find the right role, contact us for a chat. You never know, you could be next in joining this exciting adventure.

 

Philippa Sproule, Head of Accounting

What made you look for a career in tech? Why do you enjoy working in this industry? 

I had worked in the AV Industry for 18 years after college. Then I moved to the construction industry. Following a short career break in 2021, I saw an advert for an Accounting position with a local AV company and immediately applied. The rest is history!

How does Hamilton Robson support your personal development and help you to thrive?

After a career break I definitely needed a little confidence boost to get back to full strength. However, returning to the industry and to Hamilton Robson in particular, I received some great support from our leadership and my team mates. I’m empowered every day to do more, to try new things too and the level of trust I’ve earned here is second to none.

What advice would you give to other women considering going into a similar role or into tech?  

My motto is always go above and beyond your role, try to do better than the day before and to never stop learning! The best advice I’ve been given was from our Managing Director – he gave me (and still gives me) space to trust in myself and my abilities, and it always resonates with me that he said to not be so afraid of making mistakes. Everyone does, and to back away from risk means you’ll never learn from your experiences!

 

Rachel McGrath, Marketing Manager

What made you look for a career in tech? Why do you enjoy working in this industry? 

When I first found myself in the tech sector in marketing it just felt ‘right’. I love technology and find the clients and projects so interesting. After about 8 years in the sector in more corporate roles, I felt like it was time for a change and decided to do something different, moving to Hamilton Robson who had a creative reputation and I was intrigued by the challenge!

How does Hamilton Robson support your personal development and help you to thrive?

I just celebrated my first year in the role and looking back, the support from my peers and our leadership has been invaluable. I’m trusted to make the right decisions to benefit the business. That trust has inspired some really amazing projects along the way and has just been a breath of fresh air. I’ve built up some really supportive relationships here and I love that I get to be around people who inspire and challenge me every day, as well as have the craic. It’s helped me grow and build my confidence.

What advice would you give to other women considering going into tech? 

When I joined Hamilton Robson I was pleased to see that so many of the department heads I met with were women – this is the mark of a place where you can thrive, so make sure you pay attention to those types of details! They matter!

It’s hard to avoid imposter syndrome entirely, but I would say that if someone else believes you can do something, they believe it for a reason – so try and trust in feedback you’re given and don’t question your own ability too much!

Leanne Beavers-McAdam, USA Territory Procurement Lead

What made you look for a career in tech? Why do you enjoy working in this industry? 

In all honesty, I wasn’t specifically looking within the tech industry, but I’m delighted that this is where I have landed. I applied for a role in accounts and over the course of my time here have trained up in all things procurement, and now run procurement for the US. I love getting to know the live projects, working with all the technology suppliers, different kit, and getting to learn new things every day!

How does Hamilton Robson support your personal development and help you to thrive?

As I had a finance background it was a bit of a pivot to procurement. I have built up my knowledge so quickly with the support of my colleagues in our Omagh office, in particular my fellow Procurement Lead Zuzana. I’ve expanded my global knowledge so much – if you told me five years ago that I’d be running procurement for a landmark project in the World Trade Centre, it was something I never thought I’d be celebrating! We have such a supportive and friendly environment here, and everyone enjoys coming to work. That helps us to thrive. I’ve really enjoyed the people management opportunities I’ve been given over the last couple of years too.

What advice would you give to other women considering going into tech? 

Never believe you aren’t qualified for a job in tech if you want to go for it, you have nothing to lose. A qualification can be gained and often a drive or an attitude can’t. And don’t be put off by the term ‘tech’ or ‘AV’ – we have had women at Hamilton Robson who build racks with the best of them! I have always believed in asking questions – that’s something I would firmly advocate. Never be afraid to ask, that’s how you learn!

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