In this HERpower interview, Maria Jesus brings her positive and fresh personality, along with her big smile, as she shares her journey from music composer to tech professional.
She discusses the challenges she faced as a woman in tech, how she overcame adversity, and the unique skills she brought from her music background.
Read the entire interview and let Maria's story inspire you!
Bio
Maria Jesus is an experienced music composer and arranger with roles in teaching, sales, tech, and sustainable energy. Currently, she is crafting the marketing strategy for Formaviva, a platform for connecting artists and music lovers. Her hobbies include music, gardening, history, maps, and traveling.
The Conversation
Editor’s note: Maria’s reflections are her personal experiences and lessons learned. They are not aimed at any company or individual specifically.
Question: Hello, thank you for joining me today. Can you please start by briefly introducing yourself?
Maria: My name is Maria, I was born in Chile, lived in Canada, and now reside in Spain. I am a composer with over 20 years of experience in education. I began my career in the tech sector in 2018, working in technical support for iOS and MacOS. Later, I returned to the education field and eventually worked for Google Cloud (through a third-party supplier) as a billing concierge technical support engineer.
Question: Why this back and forth between different sectors? Is it a love or a love-hate relationship?
Maria: It was quite unexpected; I never imagined I’d grasp tech so well. When I started working with iOS, I was surprised at how good I was at it. As a composer, I understood the musical language and found programming to be another language/tool that helped translate the idea. This realization made me see that my skills in music helped me during the learning process in tech. I’m always curious and looking for ways to improve processes, which explains my back-and-forth journey between music and tech.
Question: It sounds fascinating. Still, I can imagine transitioning was challenging. What motivated you?
Maria: Being an immigrant changed my perspective. I’ve been a musician since I was three years old, and at 25, I wanted to expose myself to new experiences to know what else I could do, so I went to Canada to be a waitress. Moving to Barcelona was a low point in my life. I worked in sales and did different jobs to survive. Survival mode is high for immigrants, and that motivated me to explore and take chances in tech without overthinking it.
Question: How did you feel in the tech environment?
Maria: Surprisingly good. I can simplify things, which helps in communicating with engineers. Growing up as the only girl among four brothers, I developed a strong, efficient way of communicating, which was very helpful in the tech sector. I found troubleshooting fun and discovered I had a knack for it.
Question: You used your qualities and previous experience to your advantage. What challenges did you encounter?
Maria: I faced abuse from superiors. In a male-dominated sector, it’s easy to be told you’re not qualified simply because you’re a woman. The biggest challenge was dealing with systematic gaslighting, which made me question my worth. What saved me was setting boundaries; even though it was tough, it was essential for my mental health.
Question: Gaslighting is indeed difficult. How did you cope, and what would you suggest for other women facing similar issues?
Maria: Creating a safe and reliable system for communication within an organization is crucial. When a female colleague faced the same issue, we supported each other, but we were rather lucky to find out that we were facing similar challenges. It isn’t something that people talk about openly. In reality, you could feel alone and isolated. Unfortunately, in big companies, there often isn’t a proper channel for addressing these issues. It’s important to speak up, share experiences, and support each other. Building a community is essential.
Question: Speaking of support, how can we, as a society or community, provide help in such situations?
Maria: When women feel isolated and unsupported, it’s crucial to have a reliable network. Having someone to turn to can really make all the difference when times get tough. If formal channels like HR sometimes fail us, peer support becomes invaluable. Encouraging a culture of empathy, open communication, and mutual support within our communities is essential to ensuring that no one feels alone or marginalized in their struggles.
Question: On a brighter note, what’s your current focus, and what lies ahead for you?
Maria: Currently, I’m transitioning to a nonprofit startup related to Music. We’re dedicated to creating a supportive community for Artists, with our CEO’s personal journey serving as our inspiration. Our primary project revolves around connecting the community to independent music. Drawing from my experience in both technology and music, I’m tasked with crafting marketing strategies and educational resources to support our mission.
Question: You mentioned being a workaholic? How do you balance work and life, especially with that tendency?
Maria: Well, I’m taking proactive steps to rebalance my life and prioritize self-care. I’ve moved closer to the beach, giving me more opportunities to enjoy sports and nature. Setting aside dedicated time for myself has become essential. In my previous roles, the workload often led to stress. Now, I’m focused on protecting my mental well-being and adopting a healthier mindset. It’s all about learning from the patterns and not making the same mistakes, but new ones.
Question: Given your diverse background, what advice would you give your younger self when starting your career journey?
Maria: I would tell my younger self to pursue music wholeheartedly. Becoming a composer was truly the best decision I ever made, giving me the tools to understand how my brain works and the different skills that have guided me through various fields. If I had the chance, I wouldn’t change a thing about that decision.
Question: If you could swap roles with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
Maria: The first person that came to mind is Elon Musk. He’s definitely an over the top figure, innovative, and eccentric, and he understands the power of a well placed ‘No’ to focus on his targets. I’d be very interested in experiencing his world for a day to learn a few tips.
Question: Can you share some interesting facts about your home country and its culture?
Maria: Chile is a stunning country with diverse landscapes, from the world’s driest desert in the north, the Atacama, to the southern Antarctic region. We speak Spanish, but our Chilean language has its own distinct flavor, cachay? A beautiful thing about us is that we’ll always open our doors to travelers, and celebrate our Fiestas Patrias, and Independence Day as if there is no tomorrow: we dance, eat, drink, and sometimes the party can last a whole week.
Connect with Maria
If you wish to connect with Maria and learn more, seek advice, or share similar experiences, feel free to reach out to her via LinkedIn.
