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Michele Cormier
Systems Engineer III
Cisco Systems
Career Quick Look
Age: 39
Location: Columbia, MD
Education: B.S. in Computer Science and Music Performance; CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate); CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional); CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Associate); CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert) in progress.
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Salary: Unavailable
Years in field: 20
""One of the best things about working for Cisco," Michele says, "is that nobody cares what race you are, what religion, what gender. You need to be a good engineer and that's it.""
Getting Started:
Michele was studying math and jazz saxophone back in college, when a summer internship at Colgate Palmolive introduced her to computers. "I just really liked them," she remembers, "so I wound up adding that degree on." Her music degree "never earned me any money," she laughs, "but after school I started working for Computer Sciences Corporation as a programmer/analyst." Soon however, she discovered that pure programming wasn't for her. "I was bored out of my mind," she says, "so I moved over to the server team … and eventually wound up going over to the Wide Area Network (WAN) team, where I took my first Cisco class." One week later, the senior engineer she was working with left, and with just one class under her belt Michele found herself in charge of "a huge global network" at Computer Sciences Corporation. She continued training while she worked over the next few years, until one day her company's Cisco representative mentioned an opening in their Maryland office. Michele interviewed and was hired by Cisco in 1995.
Education:
Michele earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Music Performance, with a minor in mathematics, from the University of the State of New York. This fall she will start classes at Maryland's Bowie State University, to pursue a Master's of Science in Applied and Computational Mathematics. "I really wanted to get a masters," she says, and with her lifelong interest in mathematics "I think it's something I can actually do well in and have a pretty easy time with." She'll continue working full-time and attend classes one night a week.
Greatest Professional Achievement:
Michele says that winning the award for Cisco's Systems Engineer of the Year (in Fiscal Year 1999) has been her greatest achievement so far. She felt especially honored to be chosen from a competitive and highly qualified group. "In this case I'm working with engineers that I respect probably more than any other group of people in the world. And to be recognized out of that group is something that I'm very, very proud of," she says.
Barriers:
"In a former job," Michele says " there was always the issue where I made less money than the men I was working with, even though I was the one running the network. The men that were in my department outranked me and made more money." When she decided to leave, her manager approached Michele with an offer to "even this out" - but by that point, she says, "it was too late. One of the reasons I came to Cisco is that they firmly believe 'we hire the talent, not the package it's in.' I have never seen any kind of barriers at Cisco. I'm treated like everybody else."
Working with Men:
Since college, Michele has found herself studying and working in mostly male environments - even in her music major. "So since I've always worked with all men all the time, I don't know what it's like not to do that," she says. "In our office now we have a few female engineers, and it's nice to finally work with other women, because it's something that I never got a chance to do before, and there's a huge amount of camaraderie among the women." In general, Michele says "you're an engineer first and the other stuff really doesn't matter." She credits the management at Cisco with fostering a diverse and democratic work environment. "Everybody's treated with a huge amount of respect," she says.
Advice for Women:
"Get the best credentials you possibly can," Michele says, "because you're going to need them." Despite the hours and dedication it takes to earn your credentials, she insists, "it's definitely worth it. The freedom that you have, knowing that no matter what happens I can support my family, I can take care of myself, I can make my own way in the world is absolutely worth it."
Michele says attitudes toward women have certainly changed for the better in her experience of the field. "It would be good for young women to take advantage of that," she says, and adds with a laugh "there are enough of us old women in the workforce that are more than willing to help young women along."
Typical Workday/Environment:
Michele spends a good part of her workday - from morning to mid-afternoon - in meetings with customers. "During these meetings we troubleshoot any problems, we do designs for them, we help them plan their networks for the future, we educate them," she explains. Afterwards, she spends the afternoon doing research, following up on questions that came up in her meetings, or getting back to clients with additional information requests. In the evening Michele spends time with her family, sometimes going back online to study before she calls it a day.
"We have to keep our certifications current," Michele says, "so often I'm studying for exams, or else I study to get ready for meetings I have the next day. As part of our training plan, I have a new technology area every month that I need to study and have a deliverable on, so I'm always studying." She admits the workload can feel heavy at times, but says, "I feel good about the work I'm doing and I think I'm pretty good at it. I think I'd be bored if I was doing something else."
Career Ladder:
"Most people start by working as an engineer on a network," she explains, "troubleshooting a corporate network." Once you've tackled the basics, you might advance to planning and designing computer networks, she says. "From there you could go into either research and development - being a senior engineer," Michele says, "or something like a Chief Information Officer, where you're doing more strategic planning."
Professional Associations:
NA
Hobbies:
Michele likes to stay active in her time away from work. "I box and I kick-box," she says, "and I roller blade. I like pretty much all sports. And I spend as much time as I possibly can with my son and my husband."
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