My name is Judy Ehiguese and I currently working at HubSpot as a Migrations Specialist. I’m very interested in art, music, tech and entrepreneurship. 

During secondary school, I studied at St. Josephs college and always had a passion for art and computing. My parents wanted me to study medicine but always supported my ideas of art and tech. After the leaving cert, I decided to study Computer Science at Griffith College Dublin to pursue my passion for tech. Web design and implementation always took first place in my heart because it allowed me to explore my creative side and combine it with my knowledge in coding languages. I graduated in 2017 and began working in tech support at HubSpot for 2 years until transferring to the pro services team. My daily role involves project management, website QA, internal support, web design triage and taking customers through the migration process. It’s a really interesting role that allows you to expand your knowledge in coding languages, project management and web design. 

My favourite pastimes include watching films, dancing and going for brunch with friends. 

Has your opinion of STEM changed since you were a teenager?

Yes it has! I always believed that you’d only need a technical mindset to be in STEM.  However I work in a tech company full of different people with creative talents.  Some of them studied gardening, biology, worked in radio stations but always had an interest in tech. Bringing all these different mindsets together really opens up our world in STEM.

In your opinion, what is the biggest myth about STEM careers?

In my opinion, the biggest myth is that you need to be a genius with computers, maths or numbers before you can embark on such a career. This isn’t always true in a world full of curious and intelligent people.

Do you believe that there is enough being done to encourage girls to study STEM and pursue STEM careers?

Yes, the times are changing! As a teenager I saw STEM as an opportunity for anyone to work in a technical field. I went to an all-girls school where I wasn’t given the opportunity until the final year. But I always had a love for tech and that is one reason why I studied computer science in college and was able to graduate with 3 other girls in the class. During my time in secondary school, the opportunity to encourage young girls was not always present, especially when you study at an all-girls school.

Describe an interesting day in your current position.

I currently work as a migrations specialist at HubSpot. The best part of my day is ensuring the website content customers want to bring to our platform is approved through QA. It allows me to bring out my creative side and it’s very enjoyable to analyse every little detail.

What do you love about your current role?

I love my team! They are brilliant and very supportive. My manager is always open to new ideas and gives helpful feedback. When you work with a team that is supportive, you’re not afraid to speak up and make suggestions. It brings up your team spirit and makes the job enjoyable.

What has been the most surprising element of your job?

Being able to work with other teams such as our sales team and support team. I didn’t have the opportunity to spread my knowledge with other teams in my previous role. Now I have more responsibility and feel very capable.

What has been your most exciting career moment to date?

The most exciting career moment was giving our CEO, Brian Halligan a high five when he visited the office years ago. It was a pretty random moment but one you can’t forget as a 2 weeks new hire.

Do you get to work with any new technologies?

Yes, I get to work with HubSpot’s HubL code and CMS theme editor. My experience in web technologies have always been with HTML, CSS, JavaScript.

Do you ever get to travel abroad for work?

Not regularly with my role. I did get to travel to the United States for 2 weeks of training. Sometimes this is mandatory with tech companies.

What kind of other experts do you work with on a day to day basis?

I work with developers, sales reps and account managers.

Is your current job, and the work of the wider team, making a difference in the world?

We’re not doctors but I believe so. We help small to medium enterprise customers to grow their business by offering them inbound marketing, sales and services solutions. Start-ups love to begin with HubSpot as they can save on their budget when looking for an automated CRM. We really believe in culture and always being there for the customer. Our frontline support team are always there to give our customers a great experience.

What do you hope to achieve in the next year in your current position?

I hope to achieve more technical and project management skills. Although technical skills can be self-taught, being able to manage and organise projects for multiple clients is a skill that I’d like to grow further.

Do you feel that you fit the stereotypical description of a person in your role?

Not entirely! They were looking for someone with technical, creative and project management abilities. I fit the technical description but not the project management description. So I’m learning something very new with the role.

If a young person told you that they would like to get into your role, what advice would you give them?

I would advise for them to become self-taught in knowing web technologies and how they work. They shouldn’t be afraid to show their creative side when it comes to the role since managers are very interested in your personality.

What do you want to see change in the industry in the next 10 years?

I want to see more women working in technical lead roles and showing an example to young girls.

What are your priorities for the year ahead in your role?

My priorities are to become more skilful in the role and share my questions and knowledge with the team.

Did you complete any sort of placement or internship during your studies? If so, did it prepare you for what you do now?

Yes, I had an internship at Ericsson during my 3^rd year for 9 months. I was working with the cybersecurity team and learned more about that space. My manager gave me some projects to lead with and invited me to many events. Till this day, I appreciate his trust in my work ethic for the role. It prepared me for the real working world of collaborating with a team, doing presentations and working on different projects.

Name one thing on your bucket list.

I would like to go skydiving in Dubai. This is the biggest thing on my bucket list at this moment.

What television series are you currently watching?

I’m currently watching a couple of shows on Netflix. Here’s some that you can add to your watchlist: New Girl, White lines, Workin’ Moms, Good Girls, Hollywood and Toy Boy.

What living person do you most admire, and why?

I admire my mother the most because she introduced me to Art. If it wasn’t for that, I would not have been able to seek out my creative side. I love writing music, drawing, dancing, singing and playing instruments. I appreciate her for believing in my abilities.