Stories from Women in Tech – Jenny Abustan

Hi, I’m Jenny Abustan, Branch Manager for the First Focus Manila office. I support our daily operations to help our clients get the highest level of customer service possible.

I started out as a Helpdesk Analyst in a telecom company in the Philippines, as a fresh Business Administrator graduate in 2002. I didn’t have much knowledge about computers and technology at all!

But I’m always eager to learn new skills and progress myself. I credit my work ethic and curiosity with getting me to where I am today in my career. I put in the extra work and spent 3 hours a day after my shift to stay in the office and study so I could learn and understand how Windows Operating Systems and Microsoft applications work, troubleshoot and handle desktop and laptop issues. After several months working in helpdesk support, I had an opportunity to transfer into the Security Department. There I had a chance to access and learn the different IT environments, servers and applications like Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory, Antivirus and windows patching deployment for over 1,000 users.

This was an exciting role and was the real starting point that motivated me to continue to work in the IT Industry. I’d unlocked a door to a career path that I was excited about. A career that challenges me every day and allows me to constantly learn.

The opportunities to learn and get into the IT industry are there, you just have to put in the effort. We need to follow our own story and not be limited by what society tells us.

Self-study has helped me grow and I enjoy taking short courses that help me to understand the terminology, improve my technical ability and enhance my communication and leadership skills. The opportunities to learn and get into the IT industry are there, you just have to put in the effort.

I enrolled myself in a training centre using my own money and time to invest in improving myself. After a while it led me to the role I have today. A role that I love. It’s such a great opportunity to run the Manila office for First Focus and I am proud that I have achieved this.

Throughout most of my career in the IT industry I’ve worked in male dominated environments, either as the only women or one of a handful of women. This empowers me and I’m proud that I can show that women can be part of the Information Technology world. We just need to follow our own story and not be limited by what society tells us. If we put in the effort to learn and push ourselves to grow we can make a significant contribution to the fast-growing IT industry.

I enjoy working with First Focus because of the company values and culture that focuses on work-life balance. As a working mom, I am able to balance my time to my family, kids, study and profession.