Women's Month Profiles - Susan Coetzee

We are rounding up our #WomenInLeadership profiles for #WomensMonth, with a humble, dedicated and passionate member of our team, Susan Coetzee.

·??What were your motivating factors that led you into joining Paracon?

I have been part of the Paracon family for almost 17 years, having started my career in CV typing. The 1st time that I was part of a placement, I was hooked and knew this is what I want to do. My dream has always been to help people and what better way than to assist people on a daily basis in either finding their dream role, or being able to provide for their families. The?challenge to match and provide our clients with the perfect candidate is a real motivating factor for me as well. As part of?this process, I have the opportunity not to only match the requirement for a client but also learn on a high level the different industries, their processes and their requirements which opens a new world for me from a knowledge point of view.

·???Being a woman in leadership for many years, what were there challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

Even though I am not in a formal leadership role , I strongly believe that we all play a leading role in the working environment . As woman we need to be there for one another and support each other. "Men are from Mars and Woman from Venus" is a well-known statement , sometimes jokingly said, but the fact of the matter is,?there is differences. The only way to is to have open, honest discussions with colleagues and ask a lot of questions and provide support.

?·???Ever since you have started in the industry, do you think equality in the workplace has become better?

Yes I do believe so. I regularly meet with phenomenal woman who are facing every day challenges head on, while still maintaining a solid work life balance. Looking through their CVs and realizing where they have started in their careers and what they are accomplishing now, I am so impressed?and in awe after these conversations. They are a source of inspiration . I also try to focus on the task in front of me and not the equality aspects as one can easily lose focus and fall into a trap of pointing fingers.?

?·???What would you tell young women who are just starting to work in the industry?

Being a woman in the ICT industry, means building a strong network of supporters. Rapid changes in the ICT sector necessitate collaboration with not only other female colleagues but also with specialist consisting of both men and women of all backgrounds and interests. Learn from one another and do not be ashamed asking for support. Make mistakes together and learn from each other through collaboration. It is important to invest in yourself by reading, grabbing any and every opportunity to develop your technical , interpersonal and management skills. I highly recommend that they read the book "Lean In : Fostering Women’s Leadership & Workplace Inclusion” by Sheryl Sandberg. A very practical book highlighting the you should not sit back and be a spectator, but to lean in and take part in the conversations and to grab opportunities without hesitation.

?·???Lastly, what would you say are your highlights over the years working in the industry?

Embracing change. I had grown in the ICT industry, through a lot of changes from acquisitions, seeing?people come and go, being exposed to different leadership and management styles, new cultures as well as technology changes. I had changed roles many times and each time, I was forced to do introspection as part of the process of change. Learning so much about myself, keeping an open mind as part of the learning curve to embrace the changes and align these with our clients and contractors. Apart from the changes in our own organization over the years, our clients have also gone through many changes and it is so rewarding to be part of their change and growth.

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