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Career
Quick Look
| Salary: |
$93,950* |
Education: |
| Years in Field: |
16 |
B.S.
in Computer Science; M.S. in Computer Science |
| City/State: |
Houston, TX |
View
LaTasha Gary's Resume |
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"Effective communication is as important if not more important
than technical skills," LaTasha says. "Your technical skills
will get you in the door, but in order to advance in the company
you have to have a positive relationship with the people around
you and you have to communicate effectively. I have taught myself
to be less of an introvert and more open in communicating with
my management and peers."
"You had to really show some initiative and go to them for help,"
LaTasha says. "You had to show them that you were going to stick
to it and go all the way." After the initial period, she says,
"it became a lot easier."
Getting Started: It was through her high school math
teacher that LaTasha first became introduced to computers. "We
had just one computer in my high school, at that time, in her
class," she says. "She would give us word problems and things
like that to solve. And I found that I really enjoyed it." Though
she was one of the few girls her age hanging around the computer,
LaTasha says she didn't mind - she just followed her natural
interests. Recognizing her talent, this teacher encouraged LaTasha
to look at colleges with strong computer science programs. She
applied and was accepted to Texas A&M in her senior year.
Education: When she arrived in College Station, LaTasha
found herself one of only a handful of females studying Computer
Science. Texas A&M had been exclusively male until 1963,
and was still populated by mostly white male students - many
of whom had been exposed to high-level math and computer programs
in their high schools. The first semesters, she says, were the
hardest, with professors trying to weed out those students who
weren't going to last. "You had to really show some initiative
and go to them for help," LaTasha says. "You had to show them
that you were going to stick to it and go all the way." After
the initial period, she says, "it became a lot easier.
After graduation she went to work for two years, before pursuing
her Masters in Computer Science at Howard University in 1987.
Here the classes were smaller and more specialized, with a focus
on team-oriented projects. "Both programs were really good,"
says LaTasha, "and prepared me for the kinds of things I would
encounter at work in the field."
Greatest Professional Achievement: "My greatest professional
accomplishment was managing the project team which implemented
SAP (Software Application Programs) in south east Asia," LaTasha
says. The project would take her halfway around the world, undertaking
an ambitious system-wide overhaul with a team of South Asian
Information Technology professionals and business users, in
just over a year. "I spent 13 months in Singapore," she says,
"working with the local team to replace the legacy order management
and financial systems with a new global Enterprise Resource
Planning application. Within that period we rolled out SAP in
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and India."
Barriers: Like many successful women, LaTasha says much
of her motivation comes from within. "I always feel like I have
to work harder in order to prove myself," she says. Part of
the challenge is to keep learning new skills, in order to stay
on top of the rapid changes in her field. "The technology industry
is always expanding with newer and better ways to do business.
You have to constantly retool yourself in order to keep your
skills current," she says. "Each project brings on a new set
of challenges."
Working with Men: Working in a team environment, on high-level
projects and often on deadline, means that cooperation - regardless
of gender - is key. As LaTasha says, "you have to roll up your
sleeves and get busy." At the moment, most of her co-workers
are men, but she sees more and more women entering the field
every day. And she says she's always encouraging young women
to consider a career in technology.
Her advice: Don't see yourself as anything different, or lesser,
than your co-workers. "Know within yourself you have the proper
skills and have just as much to offer as your male counterparts,"
LaTasha says. "Don't be afraid to speak out and present your
ideas."
Advice for Women: LaTasha is enthusiastic about the field
of high technology and what it can offer young women. "For me,
it has provided opportunities beyond anything I could imagine,"
she says. "I would definitely encourage other women to consider
a career in technology. The options are really unlimited in
that space, and you can specialize in different areas."
Communication is also an important skill to have in this field.
"Effective communication is as important if not more important
than technical skills," LaTasha says. "Your technical skills
will get you in the door, but in order to advance in the company
you have to have a positive relationship with the people around
you and you have to communicate effectively. I have taught myself
to be less of an introvert and more open in communicating with
my management and peers."
Most important, she says, is trying to find the right match
for yourself. "Be sure to do some research," LaTasha says, "and
choose a career that best suits your interest."
Typical Workday/Environment: LaTasha describes her current
work as "a kind of internal consulting," working on various
projects through Compaq around the U.S., and sometimes overseas.
"Today," she says, "my job consists of managing a team of 25
people - 21 Compaq employees and 4 Consultants. My team is responsible
for updating the application program we use for calculating
commissions for the Compaq sales force worldwide." The effort
will take two to three years and will impact more than 8,000
Compaq employees in all.
A typical day for LaTasha involves meeting with her team to
check on project status, collaborating with vendors to meet
obligations on current contracts or drafting new contracts,
managing resources, forecasting cost and managing budgets, communicating
project status to senior management, and building relationships
with the customers around the world by offering solutions and
providing project updates.
Career Ladder: Starting salaries in this field can be
anywhere from $42,000 to $50,000 per year - and with two or
three years' experience you can be earning as much as $60,000.
You may start off as a systems analyst I, and from there it
usually takes one to two years to move up the ladder. Most people
spend 6 to 8 years as a system analyst/project manager - and
if they choose the management track they may spend another 4
to 8 years as a manager before advancing to the director and
vice president positions. A lot depends on the skills and interests
of the individual worker, she says, along with the opportunities
available within a particular company.
"There is no magic formula for advancement," LaTasha says. "Someone
may also choose to stay on the technical path and not become
a manager. There are opportunities for them to advance and become
a primary member of the technical staff or a fellow."
Professional Associations: Member of the Association
of Women in Computing, Howard University Alumni Chapter,
National
Society of Black Engineers, Texas A&M University Association
of Former Students, and Texas A&M University Black Former
Students.
Hobbies: In her free time, LaTasha says she likes to
be outside and active. "I love the outdoors," she says, and
a recent work assignment near Colorado Springs got her hooked
on the area's natural beauty. She enjoys all kinds of sports,
from tennis and jogging to snow skiing, water skiing, mountain
biking, mountain climbing, and rock climbing. In addition to
enjoying sports, LaTasha is very active in her local church,
where she severs as an elder, administrator, and teacher. |
*Annual salary number is not the role model's actual salary. Salary for Computer Scientist based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition
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