Siri Charlotte Breen, User Experience Lead bei Siemens, brennt für IT …

Mit Siri haben wir uns auf Englisch unterhalten, deshalb lassen wir sie hier in ihren eigenen Worten erzählen, wieso sie für IT brennt - und wie sich das im Alltag auswirkt:

«As User Experience (UX) Lead in Siemens AG, I am responsible for the overall UX strategy for our digital communication platforms, with a particular focus on internal platforms. That means I ensure that employees have the best possible experiences when interacting with our platforms and applications. This can certainly be a challenge today, with the many tools that our employees are exposed to on any given day. And with new tools being introduced on a regular basis, this landscape is getting tremendously complex.»

Not that Siri seems to mind. She thrives on challenges and obviously is not cut out for routine work:

«I am fascinated by the rapid and constant changes that we are witnessing every day. As an example, who would have thought ten years ago that artificial intelligence would be so omnipresent as it is today? We also saw how rapid these changes can be when it’s accelerated through something like a pandemic. Everyone working from home with the same speed and efficiency as we know it from the office – who would have thought that only two years ago?  I cannot even start to imagine what our lives will look like 10 years from now. I find this extremely exciting and inspiring – and even better, I can be a part in shaping this new future!»

So, no predictions for 10 years from now … But where does she see herself in five years?

«My current focus is on user-centric design of digital interfaces, and I believe the need to simplify complexity is only going to get more and more important over the next years. With the rapid advancements in technology, and the omnipresence of digital interfaces, people will need to find ways to simplify this landscape for themselves, and in some cases completely disconnect from it all. Therefore, I strongly believe I will continue working within this field, but perhaps on an even more holistic level. The users’ context and surroundings will play an equally important role for the experience, beyond just the platforms that the users are working with.»

Did she ever doubt that IT was the place to be for her?

«You bet! Several times during my university years I questioned whether I had made the right choice. I think we all do at that age. We question who we are, who we should be, whom we want to be 10 to 15 years from now. I wish someone had told me that it’s okay to question your choice. And whatever path you choose, the only thing you can be sure of is that the jobs today will look completely different 20 years from now, anyway».

Foto: Siri Charlotte Breen – zur Verfügung gestellt.

Anything else she would like to pass on to the girls who are on the brink of their career choice?

«Follow your passion. Do what really interests you. If that’s within computer technology – great! I don’t want to focus too much on the gender topic here, simply because I hope we have come further than that. Girls and boys alike should choose the career path that they feel most passionate about. Not sure what your passion is? Then talk to someone who knows you well, and remember that you can also try something out and find out later that it wasn’t the right choice for you. You have time to try different things, don’t stress. You have enough time to work during a lifetime. And again, stay curious and never stop learning!»

Follow Siri, we are tempted to say. Her enthusiasm for IT in general and her job specifically is catching!