Brit's Career Journey to Dell Technologies Technical SupportBrit M. | Director, Technical Support | Germany
How did you come to Dell and what was your career path? My career began with a degree on a subject which has nothing to do with the job I work in today. I was a Qualified Engineer for Polymer Materials Technology. However, this study is still important to me to this day because there I acquired the skill of learning. My first experience with IT was when I passed the PC driver’s license test. Back then this was an actual a thing, because only specific people were allowed to access the few computers that existed. I was unemployed at first, but through a training activity from an employment agency I was able to get a job as a lecturer for AutoCAD. In this training, I was able to teach and learn AutoCAD myself. Afterwards, I got a job as an IT Administrator. I learned how to open up a PC and change hard drives, but I always wanted to do more. That’s when Dell came to Halle in 2005. I decided to apply and went through the tech test and interview process, and I eventually received my contract with Dell. You mentioned that you have two young daughters, what advice would you give young girls who are interested in IT but are hesitant because it's always so male dominated? I think there is one lesson that has stayed with me throughout my professional life: You should never be afraid to approach new tasks, even if you had nothing to do with them before. I studied Materials Engineering and initially worked as a Structural Engineer, then I worked as a lecturer for IT, then an AutoCAD Engineer and at some point, I was even a manager. These are roles that didn’t have much to do with my studies and have always been new fields for me, yet every time I ended up enjoying them. I would tell young women who are interested in this field to take the leap and don’t be afraid. Can you tell us about your career at Dell, how did you start and how did you get to this position? I started as a team leader when Tech Support was still small. We had a great time in Halle at the very beginning, because we worked on a small team and were always quick in our decisions. My opinion mattered and that certainly led to me making more and more decisions. At the beginning, I was responsible for one team, then another team, and at some point, for an entire department in Halle. Now I’m also a director for another department in Slovakia. My boss always highlights the importance of us working together globally, for example, in Casablanca, South Africa and Glasgow. This has helped me tremendously in my current role and also to gain more insights. Networking is extremely important and gives me the opportunity to be able to ask questions, to hear other opinions and to share best practices. Networking wasn’t always easy for me, but it’s easy if you have an environment like Dell that promotes it. I enjoy working together with people and forming a connection on topics with likeminded colleagues. What do you do to be socially engaged and how do you do it within Dell? With Dell's support and with the network I have, it's easy to be socially engaged and it's also a lot of fun. Outside of Dell, I am a sponsor at SOS Children's Village. Children are very important to me, and they were a huge reason why I cooperated with AWO at Dell and support campaigns such as the "Zuckertüte". A "Zuckertüte" is something every child gets on his first day of school in Germany, and for this campaign we provided those for children in need. I also participate in "Christmas in a Shoe Box" every year and I love being able to put a smile on a child’s face around the holidays. At the beginning of the year, we also organized a large clothing donation and ended up with four cars packed to the roof with donations. I love the initiative of our team in Germany, and we pride ourselves on giving back to the community. What were the best moments for you at Dell? One of the first moments I still remember, was the very first day I walked into the office at Dell. It was a very warm welcome. I remember that I was with a lot of new colleagues who took part in their introductory event, and I was very excited. I also love the Christmas parties at Dell. They’re always a lot of fun, well organized and it’s nice to celebrate with colleagues. In my 17 years I have only missed one!
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