In the second article in our Unlocking My Potential series, we hear from UP3’s Sara Alade. Sara has been at UP3 since December 2023 and works as a Managed Service Technical Team Lead, handling case management for clients, doing service review reporting, and overseeing a team of eight. Here she tells us about how her experience as a teacher has helped shape her technology career and equipped her to empower her team.
Teaching and technology are more alike than you might think
I studied engineering at King's College London, and from there I went into a job as a consultant. But after volunteering at my child’s school, I discovered a passion for teaching. I became an IT teacher, working first at primary and secondary schools, before ending up teaching at university level.
Education is incredibly infectious. It’s hard work but it’s so rewarding. And actually (without comparing my colleagues to schoolkids!), the overlaps with technology are very strong. Both of them involve lots of mentoring and coaching. You can’t rush in and answer problems – you need to empower people to think through the situation themselves, delegating responsibility at times so they build their self-confidence.
My tech and engineering background gave me experience in stakeholder management, project delivery and leadership. Those skills really helped me in my teaching role. Meanwhile, my education experience helped me to get better at identifying and nurturing strengths, fostering an environment of learning and development, and giving people a chance to thrive. That’s been crucial in my work at UP3.
Removing fear of failure is crucial for success
When I moved from education back into technology at UP3, the shift felt very daunting. Going from teaching to practice can be a big leap. IT changes so fast, you constantly have to update your skills. Getting to grips with ServiceNow felt like learning a foreign language to me at first.
But UP3 has an uplifting and inclusive culture. It was very welcoming from day one. There’s a collegiate atmosphere with no sense of hierarchy. We’re all working together as one big team to reach our goals. That sense of collaboration and teamwork meant I’ve never felt alone. It was this company ethos that really pulled me into UP3 as soon as I met them.
I’m fortunate that my managers have encouraged a no-blame culture, where we don’t have a fear of failure. Instead, we’re allowed to take measured risks as we learn and experiment. That’s been crucial to trying new things and making breakthroughs that benefit our clients.
Reflect on your skills to keep learning
As teachers, we’re taught to be very reflective in our practice. Even more so as an IT teacher. You have to constantly reflect on whether you’re teaching in the right way, whether your students are learning effectively, and whether you need to update your knowledge.
The same applies in technology. At UP3 we take lots of courses and stay on top of new developments in the ServiceNow platform, because it’s so dynamic. We also have lunchtime sessions we call “Tech Learning Wednesdays”, where we talk about projects we’re working on and just foster open communication so people can learn from each other.
That feedback loop of doing, reflecting, and learning – that’s vital in any career, but especially in technology.
Embrace new experiences that build your resilience
If I had to give some advice to my younger self, I’d say be fearless. You have to embrace your curiosity and keep exploring new tech and ideas. Fear can disenable you. But each experience – even the setbacks you’ll naturally have – will build your resilience and ultimately your growth.
So don’t shy away from challenges, and always stretch outside your comfort zone where you can. But don’t feel like you have to do these things alone. Build a strong network of mentors and peers to offer you the support you’ll need.
And remember to enjoy the journey and celebrate your achievements as you go. It’s easy to get too focused on taking the next step. If you’re not careful, you won’t remember to look up and enjoy the progress you’ve made.
What unlocking potential means to me
As a former teacher, unlocking potential is very meaningful to me. I’ve seen it with the students I’ve taught, as well as with my team at UP3.
It’s about spotting a person’s abilities and making them realise the talent they have through the praise and reward you give them. And once they believe in themselves, you give them the opportunity to keep doing what they’re good at.
Because people really thrive when they know you're invested in them, when they feel you know them and you talk to them on a one to one basis. That personal touch is the key to unlocking their talent and their potential.
Thank you to Sara for this fantastic insight into how different careers paths, like education, can equip and empower someone in tech. If you want to want to work for a ServiceNow partner with, in Sara's words "an uplifting and inclusive culture", check out our careers page.
