21st Century Women Technologists: Nuria Hervella
Today we introduce you to our colleague Nuria. Superior technician in Telecommunications and Computers, this woman from Barcelona settled in Galicia since ten years ago is doing her internship at Services and Applications area at Gradiant. Although he loves computers, it’s not all about programming on her computer, so he spends her free time reading and writing, but she also loves animals and basketball.
What did you want to do when you were younger?
I always wanted to be a computer scientist. My father was an engineer and I look like him, I guess. For personal reasons I didn’t finish my Systems Engineering degree and after six years working and trying to save money, I decided to study both programs because I wanted to have some kind of qualification in the field. Even so, degree will always be on my mind and who knows…. maybe I’ll take it back one day!
Why did you choose technology for your future?
I like challenges and for me this world is constantly challenging. You have to stay awake and be curious. We are experiencing huge changes in this age thanks to technology. I’m from that generation who have “experienced change”; growing up without a mobile phone and now not being able to live without it, watching my sisters do typewriter work and then freaking out with our first computer, etc. It’s amazing what has changed the world in such a short time and I like to think I can be part of that change.
What are you currently working on?
I am doing my training in work centres in the area of Services and Applications, as I am going to become a superior technician in Multiplatform Application Programming soom. At Gradiant I am working on the frontend, at cloud computing applications research line, for the ITBox project, a platform for hybrid cloud management.
What do you like most about your job?
What I like most about my job is that it’s not mechanical. It’s like solving a puzzle or a game of enigmas. You have to put the pieces together to find the solutions to the problems you face every day. I think that creativity and ingenuity are important to keeping the mind awake and working in this area allows it and it’s really great.
Who is your feminine reference in tech world?
The truth is I don’t have any and that’s sad. It is curious that everyone, even those who are not related to this sector, would tell you several names of influential figures in tech world, all of them men. No women, though. It’s time to change that!
How do you imagine your career in technology?
I would love to end up working as an application developer. Someone say “if you work at what you like, you won’t work a day in your life”! And that’s already happening to me, so I can’t ask for more.
What would you say to those who are thinking of choosing the technological path for their studies?
I would tell them that this is an exciting world. You have to work hard, be always on the watch as this is a constantly evolving sector and you can’t go offline but, if they are ready for that, it’s worth it. The tech community is full of great people, the work atmosphere is often fantastic and there are thousands of opportunities. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t or won’t do. Engineering is not only for smart people or for men. Let them work hard, believe in them and get where they want to go.
