About the Owner
I’m Jen and I’ve been in IT project management for 14 years. I decided to be an IT project manager when I saw a graduate PM accidently reverse her car into a parked car on the staff car park and drive off. Her car was a BMW and she had long blonde hair. I was in love.
No means No.
The start of my career wasn’t easy, I was hot and in my mid 20s. Which was fine for me but sent the men in IT crazy. I had directors and upper management teach me that rejected men at work will sack you. Sexual harassment was rife back then, it may still be now but at the ripe old age of 38. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen to me anymore.
I became self-employed after I was sacked for the last time from a well-known brewery, that was because my face and personality didn’t fit in with the superiority complex of the IT crowd. I didn’t fancy kissing Dick’s arse either so bye bye Jen.
There is light.
This upset me, but it’s true what they say, one door closes and then I got my first contracting role. I look back now, and I thank god (maybe not about the sexual harressment) I was sacked so often as this forced me to move on and experience different industries, projects and processes. Who’d have thought all these men sacking me actually enabled my career. I raise my perfectly manicured finger to all of you.
Having a personality was difficult as first because again, not many people in general do especially not IT contractors. With my neck tattoo and fuck you attitude, it’s resulted me in a lot of therapy. I’ve had to accept who I am, especially after being rejected pre self-employment.
Do what you say you’re going to do.
What I have learned over the years is, in corporate, you can be who you want if you deliver, have attention to detail and a strong work ethic. Which I do. I never gave up and never will give up. Even when that client doesn’t pay me or another marketing company rips me off. I’m thankful for self-employment and contracting because otherwise through choice I’d be on the dole.
Call me Mrs IT Project Management
I love IT project management though, I’m lucky that even with a bumpy start I wanted to learn all about the different methodologies and how to successfully deliver a project and not to toot my own horn, I’m actually really good at it.
Agile, waterfall, PRINCE2, delivery, plans, roadmaps, sprints, stakeholder management, comms, troubleshooting, structure, management, graphs, data. The list is endless, but it’s a very interesting list.
The industry I’ve found I enjoy the most to work in is Charity and non-profit, it feels like I’m doing some good in this world. Working with some fantastic causes and people who just want to help, makes me feel like I’m giving back to the community. I also worked in a bank once, I’m never going back there as that was bloody awful.
With bad comes good – And vice versa.
2019 was an interesting year, I contracted at IBM and had an interview at Google. I also had a mental breakdown, talk about highs and lows.
2020 was better, Twycross Zoo hired me as an IT Consultant and pulled me out of the slump I was in. I met a wonderful lady who gave me some brilliant advice about going limited. So, I did and it was the best thing I ever did. The extension of me, Random Software Solutions was born on 21st June 2021.
Failing on the cheap doesn’t exist.
After a full rebranding and a few expensive wrong choices, I’m happy with what we offer today. We’ve worked with lots more charities and membership organisations and successfully delivered loads more software and infrastructure projects. We have returning customers now, which makes me so happy.
Whats next for us?
Going into the future, we want to focus on the charity sector and grow our customer list, we want to take on more staff and offer more services. With hard work and determination, we will achieve it.
Thanks for reading. Jen
