At iManage, we know that our ability to innovate and stay competitive in the market is dependent on having a diverse team of individuals with unique experiences and perspectives. While there are many different lenses through which we view and define diversity, one important facet is hiring individuals with varying educational and professional backgrounds.
To deliver on this commitment, we partner with Makers Academy, a 16-week, full-time coding program based in London. Makers Academy takes a holistic learning approach, offers unrivaled career support, and helps their Makers find opportunities where they can use their new skills. Our partnership with Makers Academy connects us with passionate and driven individuals looking to pivot their careers and shift to working in the tech industry.
We recently had the chance to sit down with one of our employees who joined iManage through this partnership, London-based Software Engineer Tiffany Vallo, to learn more about her experience pivoting careers and joining the team at iManage.
Making a change
Joining the iManage team in November 2021, Tiffany recently celebrated her 1-year anniversary with us and was promoted at the end of 2022 (Congrats, Tiffany!). Prior to joining iManage, Tiffany worked in healthcare administration but decided to take a risk and pivot into technology. Upon reflecting on her career transition, Tiffany acknowledged, “It was scary at first. I felt like I couldn’t speak up as much and I didn’t know if I was saying the right things”.
Within her first 6 months, she moved from her interim team to her current, permanent team and started to become more and more comfortable as she developed relationships with fellow Software Engineers. Many of her peers helped to push her out of her comfort zone, giving her opportunities to join additional meetings and speak on behalf of the team.
Throughout her acclimation to her new career, her senior manager, Sudha, also played a pivotal role. Tiffany reflected on the relationship with her senior manager and how it has led to a greater sense of belonging within her team. “Sudha is such a lovely person. Even though she’s my senior manager, I don’t sense a hierarchical status. It’s more friendly. I can speak to her if I need to, and she offers me great advice. It’s nice to have women in higher positions that we can relate to.”
Building confidence
Beyond her own team, Tiffany has formed connections through iMWomen, one of several iMpact Communities (our name for employee resource groups) at iManage. Membership in iMWomen has inspired Tiffany through insights into the successes of women at iManage across all departments and seniority levels. The group has supported her in a variety of ways including a speaker series on topics such as overcoming imposter syndrome, inspirational quotes in the community Slack channel, and motivating book club discussions. Our iMWomen iMPact Community’s mission is to foster a culture of inspiration, support, and empowerment by encouraging women to “just be you”. This group has done just that for Tiffany and over 200 other members.
With the community of iMWomen and a supportive team of fellow Engineers, Tiffany has built her confidence over the past year and been empowered to be a successful Software Engineer. When asked what advice she would give someone considering a career transition into tech, Tiffany replied, “Just do it. It was intense, and I didn’t know if I could actually handle the work, but I ended up enjoying the experience. Remember to have fun even if you are stressed!”
Thriving at iManage
At iManage, we pride ourselves on building a community where every employee can thrive and find meaning in their work. Tiffany is a prime example of what success looks like at iManage and is an integral contributor to all her projects and initiatives.
No matter your background, experience, or identity, iManage is a place where you can thrive as your authentic self. Thank you, Tiffany, for choosing iManage back in November 2021. We are excited to see what the future holds for you!
About the author
Dominic Signorelli