Mariam Chtchyan never planned to enter the tech world. With a linguistics degree and plans to become a teacher, she accidentally found herself in an interview for a tech company when she thought she was applying for a translator position. Today, she's the COO of HackTech, an Armenian software development company that partners with clients across the United States and Europe.
This unexpected journey forms the backdrop of our fascinating conversation about navigating career transitions, building confidence, and the changing landscape of global tech development. Mariam shares her early struggles of learning technical terminology – keeping a notebook during meetings to write down unfamiliar words she would research at night. This determination to learn, coupled with transferable skills from her linguistics background, propelled her from project manager to executive leadership.
What makes HackTech stand out is not just their global client base but their commitment to diversity. With women making up 51% of their workforce, they're challenging tech industry norms. Mariam discusses how maintaining an in-office environment (rather than remote work) creates stronger team dynamics and communication channels, particularly valuable for complex software engineering projects. She also reveals how they've mastered working across time zones with their exclusively international client base, some relationships spanning nearly nine years.
Beyond her executive role, Mariam hosts the "Digital Shifts" podcast, coaches aspiring project managers, and balances being a mother to her young son. Her perspective on continuous learning, embracing AI tools as productivity enhancers, and building confidence as a woman in tech offers valuable insights for anyone considering a career pivot or looking to advance in the digital space.
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This podcast is proudly sponsored by USC Annenberg’s Master of Science in Digital Media Management (MSDMM) program. An online master’s designed to prepare practitioners to understand the evolving media landscape, make data-driven and ethical decisions, and build a more equitable future by leading diverse teams with the technical, artistic, analytical, and production skills needed to create engaging content and technologies for the global marketplace. Learn more or apply today at https://dmm.usc.edu.