WIT We Love: Pam Keough
In our new series, wit we love, we’re interviewing women who have made their way into unexpected and multidisciplinary tech careers. For our first feature, we spoke Pam Keough, CEO of Make-A-Wish Connecticut. Coming from an IT background, she quickly bridged the gap to run business and IT divisions in the non-profit space. We loved hearing how Pam brought her tech and leadership skills to Make-A-Wish, where she applies her knowledge make sure children with life threatening illnesses get the wishes of their dreams.
How did you start your career in technology?
Back in the 80s, my very wise grandmother said to me, "you have to go into this thing called computers. I think there is going to be something with that.” When I went to college, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I ended up being a quantitative method major and had a minor in computer systems. I really enjoyed that and did an internship for Aetna, working in the IT area. When I got out of school, I applied to Aetna because they had an opening. They hired me in the finance area, but to be a technical person in the group. There I was working on finance applications — applying my business background, but in the technology space.
Then I realized that there was something to what my grandmother said, so I went back and got a MBA in management information systems. I quickly found out that this IT thing was really something. I got a job at the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, in a new department that would use technology to help with their audits. This position allowed me to travel the world, going to all Pfizer's locations worldwide to audit their manufacturing locations, which was very cool.
In your opinion, why is it important to have women working in technology?
Women bring a different perspective. If you don't have women in the sector, you don't get the full picture. I think women have always been told that they should go into certain fields, but honestly, technology is a field they should get into. They can do it just as well as a man can, and in fact, they have different skill sets that would enhance the profession.
What do you believe young women need to hear in order to succeed, not just in the technology world but in general?
Well, one, you can do anything, be anything you want to be. You want to be the President; you can be the President. So you can do anything, but I would say that you're going to have to work a little bit harder. My motto has always been work nine to five for your job and five to nine for your career. Even if you're not the smartest at a certain thing, work harder, prove yourself and do good work. Secondly, it's essential to find a mentor, and for me, I've had a few amazing female mentors in my life. Having that person that you can talk to and can give you advice is very important. That's key.
How does Make-A-Wish use technology?
In general, the nonprofit industry is behind technology because of the way they prioritize their spending, and unfortunately, technology tends to come in last. Make-A-Wish was even behind the nonprofit industry. We've spent the last couple years trying to get up to speed. We're launching a new website with Drupal, which is great new technology. We also use software or things such as donor research, and software for event-planning that make our jobs a lot easier.
How has Make-A-Wish changed in the time of COVID-19?
Right now, we've switched to virtual wish-granting. We do sometimes have challenges because some families don't have computers so now we need to loan them one. We're also moving to virtual celebrity meet-and-greets. If you asked me in the beginning, I would say, well, that can't be as good as meeting them in person, but I can tell you they're getting such a better experience. Oprah, who hadn't done a wish before, decided to do one virtually, and she spent an hour with the wish girl. She gave her some really amazing advice. The last thing is moving to virtual fundraising doing our virtual walk, and our virtual gala. We were one of the first chapters to do it , and we reached a wider audience, which was great.
What advice do you have for women in general, but especially those who just graduated?
Don't give up. I gave this advice to my daughter because she has a job at Macy's, but she's getting a letter in the mail that says either you have a job or don't. I said it's not you, and I said, it's nothing that you can impact right now so don't get anxiety over it. It's only one point in time. We'll get through this, and in 10 years you'll remember, but you'll be like "oh, was I unemployed for six months or eight months. I can barely remember".
Also, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to look outside your geographic area. You might have to do something like that to get a job. I would also say to stay busy. Employers are going to want to see that you did something besides watching Netflix. Whether it's some form of volunteerism, and don't be afraid to take a temporary job. Just do something and don't give up.