This blog is part of our on-going Women in Technology series.
Judy Torres is the Project Management Senior Director in Project Operations. She has been in the industry for 13 years now resulting from acquisitions from Altep to Advanced Discovery and finally, Consilio. Before joining the world of eDiscovery, Judy worked as a Director of Information Systems for the fastest-growing school district in Texas. Judy earned her bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems at the University of Texas at El Paso. The most exciting aspect of working at Consilio, to Judy, is the exposure to many areas of business other than operations.
Can you please speak about a pivotal moment in your career?
The most pivotal learning moment in my career is when I owned my knowledge — when I realized that my contributions were a part of solving problems. Often, women wait to participate in discussions until they can recommend the “perfect solution” instead of just brainstorming good suggestions.
Remember, perfection is the evil of good, so your input doesn’t need to be perfect – it needs to be good. The solution will become perfect when the entirety of contributors supplements a good idea, to a great idea, to a perfect solution.
What has been your experience with role models during your career?
I have been extremely fortunate with the strong mentors I’ve had in life. They’ve all reinforced different lessons for me because, contrary to popular belief, we do not always have the answers to every possible challenge that is thrown our way in our day jobs.
How has gender played a role in your career?
Realistically, technology is a male-dominated field. In the past, women typically had roles as nurses or teachers, and men would be the technologists. When I started out, I always just considered myself a member of the team. I never differentiated myself because of my gender, because at the end of the day, we are a team trying to accomplish our common goals.
However, because of gender, we may have different approaches to problems. At the end of the day, our varying approaches complemented each other to solve these problems.
Ultimately, one of the keys to my success was because I never had an issue working in a male-dominated field. In my personal experience, I was lucky to never be treated differently or underappreciated for my work.
What advice do you have for women working in technology?
Owning your knowledge and confidence is key. Women are inclined to be cautious in seeking advancement, claiming expertise, and putting themselves forward.
Aim high. Don’t leave your career to chance, take control, and seek out opportunities that fulfill your aspirations. I recommend finding a female mentor, a role model, tap into the experience of someone whom you can ask for insightful, reliable, and relevant advice. Also, don’t forget to give back by being a mentor to someone else, trust me, you’ll learn a lot.
What are your techniques for staying organized in a chaotic industry?
Staying organized is critical for me and how I personally work best. I have my nightly routine where I list any unattended tasks that I need to address and prioritize in the morning and schedule those on my calendar. I also keep a well-maintained calendar and use the available technology, such as Outlook Tasks, to document milestones, notes, and percentage of completion.
When you are not working, how do you spend your free time?
I spend as much time doing things I love with my family – drag racing. Who knew that this data nerd could work on race cars?