Marquita Sidibe began her career in hospitality, but was always passionate about technology. Inspired by the creativity and determination of the superheroes in her favorite comic books, she decided to take charge and rewrite her own story. After 15 years in the service industry, she enrolled in the software development program at Ivy Tech Community College.
As a new student, she quickly found that she was the only African-American female in the program and worry set in. Coding felt like another language in this unfamiliar field, leaving Marquita feeling out of her depth. Despite this daunting challenge, Marquita didn’t give up. With her children encouraging her to persevere, she successfully graduated.
After graduating from the software development program, Marquita struggled to figure out what to do next — even questioning where her place was in tech and if she had made the right decision. She found new direction after learning that Salesforce was opening an office in her city. She began researching the products and even connected with a Women in Tech Community Group. There, she started making connections while learning on Trailhead. She was nominated to participate in the Salesforce Pathfinder Program, a workforce development program, where she underwent 12 weeks of intensive training on Trailhead and earned her first Salesforce certification. Armed with new expertise and the connections made in the Women in Tech Community Group, anxiety was replaced with confidence, and Marquita was able to land her first role in the Salesforce ecosystem.
When people discover the Trailblazer Community and that it can be a gateway into the ecosystem, they realize all of the possibilities it holds. It truly is life changing.
Marquita SidibeBusiness Analyst & Admin, Insurance Industry
Today, Marquita holds multiple Salesforce certifications and brings her expertise into her job. In her role, Marquita designs solutions with new users in mind to drive adoption and enablement. She is passionate about the user experience and enjoys simplifying page layouts by organizing information logically to reduce the number of clicks. As a Business Analyst and administrator in the insurance industry, Marquita is able to enhance overall product support through actions including updating screen flows within intake forms, editing case record pages, and strategically grouping relevant fields. Through these solutions, she is able to streamline user interactions and improve case support by providing greater clarity on case ownership and case status, ultimately driving efficiency at her company.