Our Black in Tech series features the career path & advice from Black professionals in the tech industry. In this Q&A, Monica Frazier, Sr. Assoc. Security Operations Engineer at Duck Creek Technologies shares her story.
Where did you grow up and what were you like as a child? What did your parents/guardians do?
I grew up in Columbia, SC. I was a very quiet and caring child growing up. I was very shy, however when I made friends I came out of my shell. I enjoyed being active playing outside all day with my friends.
Now retired, my mom worked for the school district here in SC as the procurement manager for the district warehouse for 35+ years.
Where did you go to college? What did you study and what did you do after graduating?
I went to school later in life and I obtained my Bachelor of Science from a satellite campus of Limestone University here in Columbia, SC. My major was Business with a concentration in Computer Programming and a minor in Software Applications. Once I graduated, I jumped into my first tech career as an IT Business Analyst. I continued on my education again in 2020 and obtained my master’s in information assurance and Cybersecurity with a specialization in Digital Forensics.
What inspired you to get into the tech industry?
I was always intrigued by the tech industry, but I did not know exactly where I wanted to land in the field until one day, I became a victim of a cybercrime. I was interested in learning how do these criminals get access to personal information without anyone knowing and how they can be stopped. So that’s when I knew I wanted to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
What has your career path looked like in tech and the various positions you’ve held before joining Duck Creek?
Before I got into my career in tech, I worked for the State of South Carolina and held several positions with the state. First, I was a revenue technician for 5 years and then I moved into an Auditor position and held that role for 2 years. While remaining with the state I completed the studies for my Bachelor of Science and began my first job in tech as an IT Business Analyst. I stayed in the IT Business Analyst position for 4 years then I transitioned into the private sector and continued in the Business Analyst role. During my time in the private sector, I worked as a Business Analyst for a financial company for almost 2 years and then came over to Duck Creek as a Business Analyst. However, I took on more of a QA role when I first started with Duck Creek. As I was in the QA role, I finished my studies for my master’s in information assurance and Cybersecurity and moved into a security operations engineering role as a cyber training and awareness lead.
Can you share the high-level responsibilities of your current position as a Sr. Associate, Security Operations Engineer at Duck Creek?
In my current role, I oversee the cyber training and awareness for the company. I ensure employees are aware of the current evolving threats that plague our organization by implementing phishing campaigns and annual training. I collaborate with our SecOps team to ensure the phishing campaign emails are relevant to the latest threats.
What types of programs and initiatives does Duck Creek have that support diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Duck Creek offers several ERGs, from Volar (Hispanic/Latin), VERG (Veterans), Emerging Leaders, BRG (Black), Divergent (Disabilities), Pride (LGBTQIA+), and WRG (Women). All of these different ERGs may have their own sole mission and purpose, but all are welcome. Also, Duck Creek has recently introduced a Cultural Ambassador program that gives an opportunity for potential employees and new hires to speak with current employees from the group about the culture at Duck Creek.
What advice would you give to other Black professionals who are interested in joining the tech industry?
What has helped me along the way is networking. A part of my networking strategy was to communicate what I am pursuing in my career, and this has helped me gain valuable connections that have opened doors in my career, gave me clearer perspective on the roles in tech and led to mentorships. My advice is to first determine where you want to be in IT, then attend networking events around tech where you openly communicate where you want to go in your career, ask questions, and actively engage in the connections you make.
