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In our Diversity@NORMA series, we present the diversity of employees who work for NORMA Group. In 2021, the focus of the series is on female employees at NORMA Group. Female staff members from various departments and countries talk about their professional and personal experiences and provide insights into their wishes for the future.
Carolina Pineiro is Service Desk Team Leader & Knowledge Manager at NORMA Group. Born in Colombia, she has already traveled a lot in her life. Today, she lives in Poland and manages the NORMA Group Service Desk from there. In this interview, she talks about her career, professional challenges and her wishes for the future.
Carolina, which woman has had the greatest impact on you in your life?
There have been many women in my life who have shaped and inspired me. In my school days at a Colombian girls’ school, I was particularly inspired by my school director at the time. She motivated us girls and encouraged us to believe in ourselves and in our strengths.
Why are you where you are today in your career?
It wasn’t clear from the start that I would end up in a management position in the IT sector because I’m a career changer. I studied political science in Colombia and graduated with bachelor’s degree. In Krakow, Poland I studied Transatlantic Relations and graduated with a master’s degree. But I’ve always been interested in IT, and I got interested in it pretty early on. Back in the late 1980s, I tinkered a lot with my grandfather's computer. I read through all the manuals and got more and more involved in the topic. I love searching for the solution to a problem and putting the individual pieces of the puzzle together piece by piece. The feeling of having successfully solved a problem is just great. And it turns out that I’m really good at it. That’s why I then decided to pursue a career in IT.
What challenges have shaped your professional career?
As a woman in an industry that is as dominated by men as IT, you are always faced with challenges. For example, I always had to prove myself more than my male colleagues. Many people didn’t trust me as a woman to be able to do this job. At my former employer in Poland for example, my male colleagues often asked me if I was sure I could really do it. I remember one incident quite well: a male colleague called us in IT support. When I took the call, he refused to accept my help and demanded a male colleague. Although the colleague was subsequently dismissed, this event showed me that we still have a long way to go before we achieve complete equality between men and women. Unfortunately, the old, classic role models still prevail in the minds of many people.
I have also noticed this in my private life. For example, when I went to an electronics store with my boyfriend some time ago to buy a new computer, the salesman only talked to my boyfriend about technical matters and ignored me completely. He assumed, based on classic role models, that I didn’t need to know anything about technology and IT. This shows me that we still have a lot of changes to make, especially in society, in order to shatter the old thought patterns in people’s minds.
What has already changed in society during your professional career?
On average, women still earn less than men, but salaries are becoming more and more equal. It’s important that women openly address this point with their employers and demand the same pay for the same work. There are also now significantly more women working in male-dominated industries. However, in industries that are particularly dominated by male employees, such as IT, there is still a lack of female managers. In addition, women in IT mainly work in administrative areas. Female developers and programmers are still few and far between. I would be pleased to see this situation change. These women could then act as role models for other women.
Do you have any advice for women in general?
I think women are often too nice and too self-critical in their professional lives. I would therefore like to give all women the following advice: Be strong and confident, don’t ever give up and face up to even the toughest challenge. Don't be silent when something bothers you, speak up about the issues. Stand up for yourself. In the end, the most important thing is to have confidence in yourself.
