Hello!
Yes, I'm back with another Tech Trump Card!! Another Woman in Tech!
I know it's been a while... I don't know about you, but I've definitely been getting withdrawal symptoms and just had to get myself back into the swing of shining a light on these fabulous people.
I recently did a virtual talk on the Tech Trump Cards initiative and really appreciated the support that came from it, as well as all the feedback and ideas from those that came to listen. There will definitely be some more things to look forward to where Tech Trump Cards are concerned! I just can't get enough! So watch this space!
Right!! Now I would like to welcome Sara Fennah!! Her Tech Trump Card and mini-interview!
Hey Sara! So tell me...
What's a typical day look like for you?
It's never dull! I spend the majority of my days delivering training virtually over Microsoft Teams. Whilst we are seeing a return to in-person training, the fact that virtual training doesn't attract travel costs and has been proven over the last 3 years to be effective, means most firms are still booking their training virtually.
A virtual training day for me involves setting up about an hour before the course start, making sure I have an attendee list, lab codes, and anything else needed for the course. A technical check is also important, plus hair & makeup (lol), I'm not really a high-maintenance person, but I do spend most days on camera and like to feel comfortable with myself. Lunchtime breaks in the training typically see me checking emails/chats etc and handling anything urgent that can't wait till the end of the day. Most courses finish by 4:30/5pm and then it's into the bulk of the admin and communication with potential customers, community, and prep.
A non-training day is spent on training course prep, blogs, speaking submissions, admin and generally trying to get the never-ending to-do list under control.
When working on a consultancy project, a day can be spent on anything from analysing file server structure and permissions, to designing a SharePoint structure, to report writing, to checking Microsoft 365 security & compliance configuration, to designing a file retention schema and accompanying configuration in Microsoft 365.
What Microsoft product do you use the most and what for?
Teams. I live in Teams meetings; delivering training, joining community events, and client calls. But I also make heavy use of Outlook email and calendar, To Do & Planner for task tracking, Excel for finances and data analysis, PowerPoint for training and speaking visuals, Word for reports and training documents, SharePoint/OneDrive for file storage, Snipping Tools for screenshots, and then there is Microsoft Viva for the analytics in Viva Insights, especially the 'Stay Connected' to find the things I promised to do and haven't made it to the To Do list, but also Viva Topics to help find and reuse existing content. And then when training, I'm teaching from beginner user to expert admin across the whole of Microsoft 365 including Azure AD, Purview, Bookings, Viva, Teams etc etc.
What do you love most about working in the tech/Microsoft industry?
It's Evergreen. No day is the same between the variation in my job, the constantly evolving technology, and the opportunities to engage in the community.
What did you want to be growing up?
Like many people, I had no idea, but I definitely did not want to be a teacher, nor did my siblings. Which is really funny as all of us teach in some way, but none of us in schools, though I did originally qualify as a secondary school teacher for Modern Languages.
How did you get into this industry?
By accident. After realising that I definitely did not like classrooms full of children, I left teaching and was looking for another job. A friend was setting up a software consultancy company, and in exchange for using his computer to look for a job on the world wide web, I helped him do the admin, and learnt a bit about these mysterious computer things. Then I was hooked, and somehow ended up being their project manager and doing training between projects.
What tips would you give to someone trying to get into the tech/Microsoft industry?
Pick an area you like and find fascinating. If you are enjoying what you do, that comes through when you talk about it, research and study become fun as well as work.
If you could come back as an animal, what would it be? And why?
A leopard or a lap cat, but definitely a feline of some kind. I love cats and the leopard is my favorite of the big cats. I'm just not a do-nothing person, so the idea of being an animal who lives to do very little is very appealing.
Name one person in the tech/Microsoft industry that you would love to meet/have a full-length conversation with.
I've been fortunate to meet so many wonderful, talented people in the industry including many of my living heroes. But I would love to be able to talk to Ada Lovelace about her initial discoveries and it would be amazing to see if she could comprehend what we now do with technology which has grown out of her idea to use the computer for things other than calculations.
Do you have anyone who you would like to say thanks to for supporting you on your career journey?
Having been independent most of my career, my family have been my biggest supporters. But I also credit the MCT community for helping me to grow exponentially, as I showcased in my blog from 2021 https://m365train.co.uk/2021/02/27/thank-you-mct-community. There are also a huge number of people in the wider community who have been super supportive and encouraging, far too many to list individually, but including conference organisers, fellow MVPs, especially the Viva Explorers.
Are there any sites that you would like to share with the community?
Is there a little note that you would like to add for the community?
Please feel free to connect with me on socials and come and say hi at events too.
Wow thanks Sara!! Fantastic answers!
I can definitely relate to Sara as I originally wanted to be a school teacher but after working in schools for a few years, I realised it wasn't for me. It also isn't easy to move out on that wage I found, so I had to have a rethink for sure. But I did end up becoming an Office 365 SME who coached volunteers at a charity to use Microsoft products.
I also love how Sara utilises so many of the Microsoft products to organise herself, I try to do the same. Sara is definitely my kind of techie, and I look forward to meeting her in person one day.
There you are folks! Sara Fennah! Do get in contact with her if you need any guidance or just want to be her friend!
Do keep an eye out for the next few Tech Trump Cards! they will be coming up every fortnight over the next few months. I'm still learning to get a balance but I won't leave it this long again!
And remember, if you would like to join the Tech Trump Card initiative and collection, please check out the Tech Trump Card page on my portfolio site and fill in the form on the 'Want one?' tab. Thanks everyone!
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