{"id":50730,"date":"2019-11-04T18:41:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T18:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=50730"},"modified":"2022-10-31T02:58:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T09:58:14","slug":"on-the-road-to-cta-trailblazer-emily-mccowan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/on-the-road-to-cta-trailblazer-emily-mccowan\/","title":{"rendered":"On The Road To CTA: Trailblazer Emily Mccowan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"like-mother-like-daughter\">Like mother, like daughter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I like to think tech is in my DNA. My mum is a software engineer. She completed a Masters in Computer Science while she was raising me and my siblings. Growing up in a family where mum was the person you went to for tech problems meant I assumed from a young age that tech was a very natural thing for women to do \u2013 it was totally normal. Mum was always programming cool games and tasks for us to play and learn, and I was on a computer from a very young age. It wasn\u2019t until I entered the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/2019\/10\/how-equality-drives-innovation.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tech workforce that I discovered women were a minority<\/a>.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/emily_mccowan_childhood.jpg?strip=all&#038;quality=95\" alt=\"Emily Mccowan Childhood\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first office job was at mum\u2019s work as a help desk analyst, assisting students and staff at a polytech with basic tech support. I was surrounded by guys who were a lot older than me and sometimes didn\u2019t give me, an 18-year-old woman, much respect. It could be quite demoralising.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I went for as much training as I could to improve my skills and mum was a fantastic role model and resource for me too. She knew what it was like to have to prove herself and earn&nbsp; the respect of her colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"if-i-could-tell-my-younger-self-one-thing\">If I could tell my younger self one thing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t be scared. Believe in yourself. You think you\u2019re going to screw up and make mistakes \u2013 but mistakes are just lessons on the way to getting even better.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was considering doing computer science at university until someone told me I probably shouldn\u2019t choose tech, that I wouldn\u2019t enjoy it. And even though I knew I wanted to study tech, I listened to this person and chose business management instead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As much as it\u2019s hard to regret the decisions that have led you on an interesting journey and into a field you\u2019re happy with, I do sometimes wonder what would have happened if I\u2019d ignored that advice and stuck with what I wanted from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These days I can walk into a room of tech guys and feel totally confident in my abilities and my right to be there. Because deep down, I never really thought I didn\u2019t have a place in tech. It was other people who thought that. And they were wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-new-world-of-opportunities\">A new world of opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fresh out of university I applied for a role at Flight Centre in New Zealand. The job title was something like \u2018database analyst\u2019 and they didn\u2019t refer to Salesforce at all in the interview. I got the job, showed up for my first day and was given a Salesforce system admin login.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then a salesperson came up and said \u201cHi, good to meet you. Can you please build me a report in Salesforce?\u201d I had no clue what they were talking about! Suddenly I was a Salesforce admin and it opened up a world of opportunities for me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure there were mistakes along the way, plus a new bunch of jargon I had to learn. But you figure it out. You speak up when you don\u2019t understand and ask for help when you need it. If someone points out an error, correct it, learn the lesson and move on. All those mini (and sometimes not so mini) mistakes really are part of learning. It\u2019s useful to keep them in perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was a good mindset to have when I was put in charge of a project a few years later. I was the project manager, the architect, the developer and the trainer. It was a major challenge but incredibly satisfying to be across an entire project and know that the buck stopped with me. It was really cool to go from \u201cWhat\u2019s Salesforce?!\u201d to running an entire project on a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/2019\/09\/what-is-salesforce-.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salesforce platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-architect-mindset\">The architect mindset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d heard about the job of solutions architect in Salesforce about six years ago and was really intrigued. Problem solving, designing, innovating? That sounded awesome. But it also sounded like something I thought I\u2019d never be good enough to do. So I just kept on doing what I was doing for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I worked with an architect called Andy Burgess who really inspired me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re already there,\u201d he told me. \u201cYou\u2019ve got the architect mindset, you could already do this.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around that time, Salesforce was changing its process for architect certifications and putting together a really interesting pathway for getting there. At the same time, I\u2019d been reading Gemma Blezard, Founder of Ladies be Architects,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.alwaysablezard.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blogging about her journey<\/a>. All that culminated in me deciding not to be afraid, to really go for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f2ed6c06e4c&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69f2ed6c06e4c\" class=\"wp-block-image wp-lightbox-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/emily_mccowan_presenting.jpg?strip=all&#038;quality=95\" alt=\"Emily Mccowan Presenting\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Having the certifications has definitely given me a professional boost. It can still be a bit daunting to walk into a room and show people you know what you\u2019re doing.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/2019\/09\/how-i-lead--ingrid-webber--cxc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">There are so many people around the world doing Salesforce stuff<\/a>&nbsp;so having the certifications gives me the credentials to back myself and that gives clients more confidence too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hands-on experience that comes with doing real project implementations as an architect is so valuable. There\u2019s a difference between knowing something theoretically, and actually sitting down and doing it. All that knowledge gets fully baked-in when you really apply it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest lesson I\u2019ve learned in my journey to becoming a certified architect is that there is no such thing as a perfect solution. You\u2019re really just looking for the least bad solution. Real world requirements are complicated and messy. There are risk constraints and budgets to work within, and system limitations. It\u2019s a matter of finding the best possible fit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"meeting-the-challenge\">Meeting the challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This might sound weird, given how long I\u2019ve been a \u2018woman in tech\u2019, but I used to find it really difficult to articulate the challenges associated with being a woman in this industry. By listening to women who were more experienced and confident, I was able to learn the language I needed to address those issues and I started to back myself more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I co-lead the Women in Tech group in Brisbane and that\u2019s got me involved in the community right across Australia and NZ. I was invited to speak at Dreamforce and ended up being an MVP last year. And I\u2019m an ambassador for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/archladies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ladies Be Architects<\/a>, an organisation really close to my heart. All that came from being inspired by women who have gone before me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that women are a minority in this industry. I\u2019m pakeha, but I know that women of colour are an even greater minority. When you are the only person who looks like you in a room, and the only person who sounds like you in the room, it can be daunting. Experience shows me that people often overlook what women have to say, until they&#8217;ve been able to prove themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But now I feel equipped to have the challenging conversations and hopefully change a few minds along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fave-five\">Fave five<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><b>Trail:&nbsp;<\/b>Can I pick a Trailmix?&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/en\/users\/strailhead\/trailmixes\/architect-identity-and-access-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Architect Journey: Identity and Access Management<\/a>&nbsp;is kicking my butt and I love it!<\/li><li><b>Event:&nbsp;<\/b>Sydney World Tour \u2013 everyone is there.<\/li><li><b>Advice:<\/b>&nbsp;Steven Herod told me that when it comes to architecture, \u201cyou either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain\u201d. Who knew Harvey Dent had such great advice about architecture \u2013 even the most perfect solution will need to be changed eventually, and it\u2019s better to be aware of that at the beginning.<\/li><li><b>Job:&nbsp;<\/b>I already have it! Unless there&#8217;s a job where I can just lie in bed with my cats all day and have people bring me food.<\/li><li><b>Trailblazing hero:<\/b>&nbsp;my mum.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Catch more #AwesomeAdmins and Trailblazers live from Dreamforce on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salesforce LIVE<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/salesforceapac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">follow along on social<\/a>&nbsp;as we bring you all the ANZ highlights live from San Francisco.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Salesforce Architects are big-picture thinkers and in-depth problem solvers. If problem solving, designing and innovating sound awesome to you, too, join Emily on the journey to CTA.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/trailhead.salesforce.com\/credentials\/architectoverview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Find out more on Trailhead<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/form\/other\/blog-newsletter\/?d=7010M000002N7miQAC&amp;nc=7010M000002N7mdQAC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ANZ_blog_July-10.gif?strip=all&#038;quality=95\" alt=\"Subscribe to our blog\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Her mum is a software engineer and she was on a computer from infancy. Now she\u2019s on the journey to becoming a Certified Technical Architect (CTA). Here\u2019s how Emily McCowan, Salesforce Architect at Deloitte Digital, Salesforce MVP, Ladies be Architects ambassador, Brisbane Women in Tech Founder and Down Under Dreaming (BNE) Co-Founder, navigated through the challenge of being a woman in tech.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sf_justforyou_enable_alt":true,"optimizely_content_id":"6c4d146a71284f6b84f53a415ee2ea65","post_meta_title":"","ai_synopsis":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"sf_topic":[2536,2504,2478],"sf_content_type":[],"coauthors":[2622],"class_list":["post-50730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","sf_topic-dreamforce","sf_topic-it","sf_topic-trailblazer-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>On The Road To CTA: Trailblazer Emily Mccowan | Salesforce<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Her mum is a software engineer and she was on a computer from infancy. 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