Meet Trailblazer Alison Rose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Rose.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Alison Rose and I am originally from St. Louis, MO. After graduating from Webster Groves High School I started my college journey at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. I graduated with a double-majored in Marketing and Spanish, and took a job with IBM during my first semester of my senior year of college.

I started at IBM 4.5 years ago as an entry level consultant in a post-graduate program called Consulting by Degrees. The program was designed for new college graduates to expose them to consulting and have them explore consulting in various industries within IBM. After two years in Consulting by Degrees, you choose an industry and try to promote to a Senior Consultant in that industry. I promoted into the Mobile industry, and specifically joined the Apple + IBM partnership team, which is a very small sector within the company that works specifically with iOS, developing applications for enterprises spanning multiple industries. I have served as a Business Analyst and Scrum Master within the Apple + IBM Partnership and delivered 13 applications to different clients over 2.5 years. The primary industry I served as consumer products, but currently serve on a long-term product for a life sciences client.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road getting to my ultimate goal of joining the Apple + IBM team, but it was always the northern light that guided me along the road I was on. There were times before joining the team that I was serving on a project that was less than ideal, but necessary in the overall process because it leads me to meet people that brought me closer to my goal and gave me opportunities to grow in areas I didn’t expect to.

My advice for any woman starting out their journey is to take the time to define the goal of your journey or define the goal at the company you’re starting out at. Without a defined goal, the journey or job can seem purposeless, whereas a goal can give you the reason to keep pushing forward.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about IBM – what should we know?
My job title is technically “Senior Consultant” which essentially means that I have more experience than an entry-level consultant. Within projects at IBM, I rarely refer to myself as a “Senior Consultant” but rather a “Business Analyst” or “Scrum Master” because the team that I serve on at IBM delivers mobile applications to various enterprises. I specifically help with gathering requirements for what the app will do, in addition to facilitating the agile app development process.

I am most proud of IBM for its motto to “continue to reinvent itself” because it is exactly what the company and all of its employee stand for. Technology is going to continue to advance, but it is our responsibility as a company to determine what that new technology can offer to make our clients business more successful or productive. What sets IBM apart from its competitors is its dominant presence in the industry by being around for over 100 years.

So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
There are definitely challenges that women are facing today, but opportunities to advance women in a career are more plentiful now than ever. Higher percentages of women are graduating college compared to men, in addition to a higher percentage of women continuing on to graduate school or a masters program compared to men. More companies are putting a diverse workforce at the forefront of their priorities, and women need to take advantage of this. I think women can be well positioned for any opportunity as long as they play to the strengths that they already have. If you are outgoing, don’t look for opportunities where you won’t be conversing with people on a regular basis. Always play to your strengths and you’ll continue to push yourself further.

Contact Info:

• Email: alipaigeh@gmail.com
• Instagram: @mrs.alirose

Image Credit:
Alison Rose

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