Name: Martha Bode
Company: SCANA Corporation http://scana.com
Job Title: IT Director
What does your company do? We’re the power company – SCANA is the parent company of SC Electric & Gas. We provide gas & electric power to customers in SC, NC, and GA.
Yes, but what do you actually do? Well, a long time ago, I was a really good programmer! Now I manage a bunch of great teams that develop software applications for SCANA. I also run our co-op (intern) program, and handle much of the recruiting for the IT department, and participate in lots of career fairs and classroom presentations to keep kids interested in STEM (and specifically technology) curriculum and careers.
Where did you go to college? What is your degree in? I have a computer science degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (aka Va Tech).
Did you always want to work in IT? Not really. I took a programming class in high school, and liked it OK. When I was trying to pick a major in college, I took a placement/aptitude test for the computer science program, and did really well, so I gave that a try. I like logic and problem solving, so this was a good match.
What is your favorite part of the job? Used to love programming – but I don’t do that anymore! I enjoy the recruiting and education parts of my job the best now.
Describe the work environment at your company. Flexible. Fair. Fast.
What qualities do you need to have to do your job? Excellent communication and ability to work with lots of people to solve a business need and not just focus on the technology.
What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? That it’s a bunch of nerds sitting around writing code.
Any advice for students or professionals going into your field? Stick with it! It’s a great career choice, with different challenges every day. If you like solving problems, you will love IT.
Personal hobbies and/or interests: Voracious reader, semi regular tweeter, passionate about STEM education, soccer toter. Follow me on twitter @marthabode for IT Job postings and STEM tweets!