#IWD2017 Celebrating inspirational women at reed.co.uk

#IWD2017 â€" Celebrating inspirational women at reed.co.uk by Michael Cheary The 8th March 2017 is International Women’s Day…This year’s #beboldforchange theme looks to celebrate women’s achievements, and to ensure career advancement for women.We’re celebrating the women who help make up our business â€" whether they work to develop our products and lead our tech teams, or head up departments in finance and sales â€" and sharing their wisdom and success.Here are their stories:Louise Buson- Director of Technology I’ve worked in the digital industry for seventeen years in industries that range from classifieds and publishing to startups and gaming.I’ve been motivated by companies and roles that are challenging and enable me to grow my depth of skills and experience.   And I’ve learnt a lot along the way.I believe a company is its people, and more than anything else we need to create a work environment that enables our smart and passionate people the space to innovate, be creative and challenge themselves. And also have fun building products and services our customers will love.What has helped most in your own career?Working hard, being open to new ideas and learning from others.What advice would you give to your younger self?Three things really:You’ll never know everything. And it doesnt matter because its not the most important thing.Enthusiasm and working hard gets you a long way.Don’t sweat the small stuff.Whats your top tip for women who are advancing their own careers?Seek out new challenges. And don’t shy away from those things that are tough they’re a chance to grow your skills and experience.Fiona Coleman National Account Manager I joined reed.co.uk as a Sales Executive in Feb 2010, as a fresh-faced graduate from Aston University.I remember thinking to myself when I first joined Is Sales actually for me? Im a hard worker, and grew up with the ethos of never giving up so I worked hard, over-achieved on my KPIs and subsequently hit all my targets month-on-month. Time went by so qu ickly and reed.co.uk soon felt like my second family.One of my proudest achievements was winning Salesperson of the Year in 2015, and my award still sits proudly on my mantelpiece at home.I am now a National Account Manager managing the Key Accounts team I once joined many years ago and am responsible for a team who manage some of the largest deals within the business.What has helped most in your own career? Being part of a company which offers equal opportunities and constant support.What advice would you give to your younger self? Dont sell yourself short or tell yourself no when it comes to applying for promotions, or a role just outside of your current expertise.Whats your top tip for women who are advancing their own careers?Research into the company and look at how diverse the senior members are. Itll give you a good indication of whether you can picture yourself being part of the organisation.Roxana Danger Mercaderes Senior Data Scientist I did my undergraduate and master’ s degree in Cuba, finishing as best student in my respective classes.I worked as a lecturer for a while, before going onto complete my PhD studies in Spain. Then my first post-PhD in Valencia (creating an Information Extraction system for Protein-Protein Interactions, whose entity recognition system is still the state-of-the-art on this subject, and a second post-PhD at Imperial College London.Since joining reed.co.uk, I’ve been working on the creation of Information retrieval systems for jobs, which could benefit recruiters and jobseekers alike.What has helped most in your own career? Not to be stopped by any circumstance.What advice would you give to your younger self? Be more active and design your career.Whats your top tip for women who are advancing their own careers? Remember there are still people needing women to do twice as much as men to recognize them. The good news is that we can do it and still shine twice as bright.Stephanie Punzalan Finance ManagerI graduated from university with an Accounting and Business Management degree during the ‘Great Recession’ of the late 2000s. Which wasn’t an ideal start.I managed to land a job at a big investment brokerage company fairly quickly, but I soon realised that this wasnt the career for me. Ive worked for a consultancy and technology solutions company and in media before moving to reed.co.uk.I’d say that my current role is an achievement in itself for me, but I’m particularly proud of becoming a Chartered Accountant. Another achievement was being able to be given the opportunity whilst working at reed.co.uk to talk at the Google offices during the 2015 London Tech Week.Getting qualified wasnt easy, as I was working full-time and studying during all of my spare time, but in the end it pays off. It’s opened so many doors for me, and I’m still learning in many ways.What has helped most in your own career? My family and friends with their continuous support and advice.What advice would you give to your younger self?To be more confident in my abilities and to not be afraid to take opportunities.Whats your top tip for women who are advancing their own careers?The only person responsible for your career is you. So make sure you continue to measure your progression and professional development and never settle until you’ve reached your goal.Jolene Paterson- Customer Experience Manager I’ve worked at reed.co.uk for nearly 10 years now, and worked in Accounts and Credit Control before moving into my current position.I’ve been Customer Experience Manager for the last 4 years now.   I think being able to explore different job roles and face new challenges has been a highlight in my career and certainly kept me busy.What has helped most in your career?Being able to explore new roles to see what suited me and most importantly, following my gut instincts.What advice would you give to your younger self?   Don’t be afraid to speak up or underestimate yourself. You have good in stincts, so don’t be afraid to follow them.   Sometimes you’ll feel like you shouldn’t say what you think, but find your voice and continue to treat others with respect.What’s your top tip for women who are advancing their own careers?Be yourself, don’t try to be someone else or someone you are not.   Its ok to take the credit for your ideas and be confident to discuss yourself and your future.Ready to love Mondays? View all available positions with reed.co.uk now.