Early years and where you came from?
I was born in Lisbon and studied Public Relations and Corporate Communication in School of Communication and Media Studies (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social). I was always interested in Technology, but it didn’t cross my mind to work in that field until it happened almost by accident.
How were you introduced to the world of the Portuguese tech industry?
My interest in technology goes way back but I only realized I wanted to work in this field when I moved to Slovakia to work in AT&T. The past three months allowed me to become closer to the Portuguese tech industry because I joined the Portuguese Tech4Covid movement, a movement that was born in an informal conversation between founders of Portuguese technological startups just to be converted into a team of more than 5.123 people from 250 different companies and various fields of work.
Walk me through your work and what you are doing now in the tech industry.
I’m a Project Implementation Manager at AT&T. I’m involved in implementing various Strategic and Legacy AT&T products (especially Managed Router and LAN Solutions).
In the Tech4Covid movement, I have the opportunity to work in the development of technological solutions that help the population to overcome the challenge of COVID-19.
What part of what you do, you love the most?
I love the fact that every day is different. I don’t have a background in Technology so I’m a firm believer in self-learning. Working in an environment that changes constantly allows me to learn new things daily. I also love solving problems, being constantly challenged to find the best solutions for the customers.
How do you think that your background and knowledge impact the way you approach your work in the Portuguese tech industry?
I think the fact that I have a different background helped me because it made me question things, be curious and eager to learn. I worked in different fields and I only found my true passion in technology later, which gave me a greater appreciation for the tech industry and for my job.
I’m also fortunate to work in a company that promotes my growth and that allows me to learn constantly.
What advice do you have for young women that want to get into tech and don’t know where to start?
It took me a while to find out that I really wanted to work in Tech because I was afraid to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. Don’t be afraid to try and take initiative. Also, focus on learning. Don’t be afraid to ask. Nowadays, we have access to so much information and online classes that it became possible to learn almost anything. Take advantage of that.
Walk me through a day in your life as a Portuguese women in tech.
Every day is different but, since I work with US Customers I work mostly in the US time zone. This way, I usually use my mornings to go for a run and then work in Tech4Covid projects or study/learn something (for example, at the moment I’m studying the Scrum framework and learning about web development/coding). Then, my workday begins and it’s always different, depending on the implementations I’m working on.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
You don’t have to necessarily be the most talented, just the most persistent in getting better.
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
Slack, Notion, Linkedin Learning and Skillshare.
👉Find Sara on LinkedIn
