Read about Salome Jebiwott Cheruiyot

What brought you to a career in technology at the United Nations?

My journey commenced when I was an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (Urban & Regional Planning) with Information Technology studies, where I learned of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and later the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the different UN custodian agencies. Coupled with the technology course units I was undertaking, these ignited in me a desire to one day work with the UN. What sparked my interest the most were the applications of GIS and Remote Sensing Technology in SDGs monitoring and reporting. All these led me to pursue numerous trainings in the fields of Geospatial, IT programming, and Data Science. These skills and the experience gained aided me in securing a job with the UN.

What has been your favorite technology project or initiative at the United Nations and why? What was your contribution?

My favorite project has been the Water Quality Analysis Reporting System, where I developed an application to capture, view, and edit data as well as download PDF reports. This project enabled me to hone my programming skills, improve my design skills, and enhance my knowledge of database development and management. As the developer, I was tasked with database development & maintenance and designing a user-friendly interface for the application.

What advice would you give women interested in pursuing a field in technology?

Be self-motivated, have a proactive attitude towards your work and your continuous learning and be smart in translating your client requirements into working solutions.