While IT has traditionally been a field dominated by men, more and more women and girls are choosing IT as their profession and entering the field. In addition to the increasing number of women joining RIT every year, there is equal representation of men and women in RIT's management.
From restaurants to philology and finally to the IT calling
Deputy Director of RIT, Kairi Rais, studied Estonian philology at university and worked in various restaurants alongside her studies. However, she didn't become a language editor or literature teacher, instead she worked for years in a call center in various positions. "Afterwards, I studied quality and environmental management because processes and quality topics appeal to me," she added.
Kairi's journey into IT began about 10 years ago. "I started in the so-called smart customer role, and after returning from maternity leave, I entered the world of software development, where I worked as an IT project manager, product owner (Scrum Product Owner), and then progressed to a team leader in IT. Step by step, the scope of responsibility and knowledge expanded as I realized how vast and diverse the IT field is," she said. As a hardworking and fast learner, Kairi became an IT manager within five years and also obtained a master's degree in the field.
Today, she works as the Deputy Director of RIT and is responsible for bringing together technology and customer-centricity, as well as overseeing large-scale IT (consolidation) projects for the state.
Career shift during the pandemic
RIT's Information Security Specialist, Kristi Tõnurist, previously worked in customer service. "I felt that I needed a change, and from time to time, I had been thinking about changing careers," she said, adding that during the coronavirus pandemic, it became clear that there was no longer time to just think.
"I enrolled in Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Centre to study information technology," said RIT's Information Security Specialist. "I didn't know much about IT, but that particular field of study was inviting to me, and my sister, who graduated in the same field, supported my idea," she added.
Kristi's path to RIT started through an internship. "I applied to the User Support Department. The internship lasted for two months, after which I was offered a job to continue working in the same department," she said. "After two years in the User Support Department, I moved on to the Information Security Department, where I am learning to see everything I have learned so far in a new light and approach it from a different perspective."
