This month’s Queen of the Month is Cosandra Black. She is an IT Specialist for the federal government, and a veteran having served in the United States Air Force for 8 years. Cosandra shares her journey in tech, which doesn’t follow the traditional ways of certifications or a degree/background in tech that most people think. She drops some pearls of wisdom on being true to yourself and persevering in the field, even when everything seems stacked against you.
JaVonne: Alright, first, thank you for letting me interview you. The first question is, tell me about yourself, like, where did you grow up?
Cosandra: I like to say, Memphis, but I spent part of my time in Olive Branch, MS, and Memphis, TN. So, it’s about 50/ 50.
JaVonne: Okay. Where’d you go to school, high school and college?
Cosandra: I graduated from Sheffield High School. For my Undergraduate I went to Brescia University, and then for grad school, I went to the University of Louisville in Kentucky
JaVonne: Right off the bat you let me know you didn’t have a background in tech, so how did you get into it?
Cosandra: Caveat in high school, when I graduated, I wanted to go to college for tech, right? But then I let the math requirements intimidate me. So initially, when I went to school it was for Business Administration, and then I joined the military. I was in the US Air Force for 8 years and worked in administration. So then once I did go to school to complete college. I still ended up taking those math courses anyway, so it was like, You shoulda just did it from the beginning.
But I ended up in tech because when I graduated from grad school, I was just applying for everything. I didn’t care if I qualified for it or not. I was like, They gonna have to tell me no, right? So, I applied for an IT position that is through this program called Pathways Recent Graduate Program. When you graduate from school you can get a position with the Federal Government, and I ended up getting it.
My mindset is If I don’t qualify, then just tell me no.
Commit Your Works
J.B: What is your current role? Can you describe for me, like your day-to-day activities.
C.B: Hmm, what I do? I manage contracts IT contracts. I create, write, and review hardware and software contracts. This helps to ensure our program offices receive the requested equipment and software needed for their projects. Being the budget point of contact for my Branch as well, I ensure we stick to the budget or apply for funding for the contracts. I am responsible for patching Branch servers, which happens twice a month. Occasionally, I may get an assignment or work on a ticket that has to do with adding/removing access to the domain for a user or server
J. B: The next question is about continuing education. You stated you did take beginner I.T. classes at Southwest [Community College].
C.B: Correct, but I didn’t complete the program because it wasn’t received when I told my supervisor. I did it hoping that it would show that I take this position seriously. I also did training classes offered through my job. I was preparing for the job and looking to grow in the field.
J.B: What kind of networking or relationship development did you do to get into and prepare for this role?
C.B: There was no preparation for the role. With the Pathways program, that first year, we met with Pathways leadership and other Pathways program participants. That’s how we networked, so we could be among people who had also recently come in through the program.
J.B: Okay, that sounds good. Kind of like a mentorship program, almost. What goals are you pursuing right now? Where would you see yourself in 5 years?
C.B: Because of my experiences over the past 7 years, I’m not anticipating staying in I.T. My background is social work, so I intend to use those skills I learned from that and pursue something else.
J.B: As a black woman that works in a male dominated industry, how do you navigate it?
C.B: In my situation. I am around women, too, so it’s-it’s diverse. Not to disrespect anyone, but this has been the most arrogant profession to me, based on my experience. It’s like you’re judged based on what you know or how much you can do. And I feel like they forgot that they had to start somewhere too.
JaVonne: What would you suggest someone starting out do to make themselves stand out or nullify any misconceptions that they may have being a black woman in tech?
C.B: I don’t think there is. I say
Keep being you, be yourself.
and at some point, you should find your people. There are people who move around if they feel like the environment/job is not for them. They’ll leave. But for me it was important that I stayed because I felt like that’s what they wanted. They were trying to make it hard for me so that I would leave.
But my thing was, you don’t tell me where I can and can’t go.
You know what I mean. If you’re not going to give me work to do. If you’re not going to train me the way the position said I’m going to be trained, then I’ll just get paid to sit here. And that’s basically what I’ve done.
So, I think now I’m at the point where I’m like, Okay, it’s time to go. But you know, a year in, 2 years in? No, you’re not gonna push me out, cause HR said I could be here. They said I could be here. Then why are you judging me? I worked hard for my degrees so if that qualifies me, who are you to say I can’t be here.
Let Us Not Grow Weary in Well-Doing
J.B: If you could describe your tech journey in one word, what would you call it, or what would it be?
C.B: Complicated.
J.B: Okay, who has taught you the most about your craft or career?
C.B: I have met a couple of nice women on my team who I admire. When I ask questions, they don’t mind explaining or walking me through it.
J.B: What advice would you give someone thinking about getting into tech, or those that are just starting their tech careers?
C.B: If you aren’t confident, if you don’t have a lot of self-confidence/esteem, if you don’t have thick skin, I would work on it because you always gonna have somebody that would try to outdo you. If you’re a woman, mansplaining.
I’ll give you an example: you have people that have been on the job 20-30 years. Sometimes it’s hard because they know everything. They’re trying to tell you how to do their job. your job, that job, you know. So, you have to be prepared for that.
J.B: How did you get to where you are today? In life/ career/ etc.
C.B: Yeah, I would say, my faith plays a big role. If it didn’t, I would be in a lot of trouble because of my mouth and behavior. I know that I would have to stand in front of God one day. . It’s been hard. You have to have perseverance. You have to have long-suffering. You have to have discipline. You have to know when to keep your mouth shut, you know what I mean?
You have to focus on something bigger than you to get you through. You have to see the end goal. What is your end goal?
Forgetting the Past & Moving Forward
J.B: What would you say is the most important lesson that you’ve learned throughout your career.
C.B: You can’t please everybody. I came into this thinking, I’m gonna have an I.T. career. I’m gonna learn. I’m gonna hopefully contribute something. Be a part of the team, you know. And that didn’t happen because I was prejudged. I found out the branch manager is the one that made that decision. He didn’t start out in I.T. either. You don’t have a degree in I.T., but you made that choice about me.
So, it goes back to people forgetting where they started.
J.B: In your opinion, what is the most important personality, trait, or strength that someone would need to work in your industry or be successful in your job.
C.B: I don’t know because I’m introverted, but I can become a team player in order to get the mission done. You just have to be confident. You have to be willing to learn and grow, just be open
and just be willing to learn and grow, whether you’re extroverted or introverted.
We’re working in a profession where programs, applications, things are always changing. But people don’t. You have to evolve.
J.B: That’s true. That’s a good one. I didn’t even think about it like that. What would you say is the biggest turning point in your career so far?
C.B: For me, just seeing the extent of what they’re willing to do to make sure I’m not successful. I can’t, to me, I can’t apply for another I.T. job because I feel like I don’t have the skills that are needed to do that. I want to be somewhere where I am looked at as part of a team and valuable.
J.B: So, would you say that is also the biggest challenge that you’ve had to overcome?
C.B: Mmm-hmm.
J.B: Oh, my goodness! That is so crazy!
C.B: I have to do a lot of self-reflection and remind myself you have what it takes to do it. You know you are valuable with other skills that you already have. So, they’re the ones missing out, not you.
J.B: Oh, that’s true.
C.B: Can I say that I don’t want to discourage anybody from being in the I.T. profession. But
If this is what you love to do. Just be willing to fight for it.
Pearls (of Wisdom)
Takeaway #1: Be yourself– Recognize that it’s okay to leave an environment that you feel isn’t conducive to you learning and growing. You’ll find the right place & the right people.
Takeaway #2: Perseverance & Discipline– Sometimes it’s easy to focus on the problems that’s in front of you. Keep your end goal in mind. Don’t let anyone dictate where you can & can’t go.
Takeaway #3: Evolve– Just like technology is always changing, we also have to adapt & evolve. Work on yourself, work on developing your skills & be open to change. You are valuable & know that what you bring to the team counts.
Takeaway #4: Fight– If tech is something you want to get into, be willing to fight for it. Nothing comes easy. It’s all about your mindset. Thoughts we think about ourselves and what others have said about us can limit us. Keep pushing.