Many people feel nervous when making a big life change. If you have ever moved to a different place, started a family, or changed career paths, you may recall that feeling of butterflies in your stomach. 
If you talk to Lorrie Scott about her mid-career change into the tech industry, you will find that her optimism, commitment, and determination override any nerves that come with big changes.
Scott grew up outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After taking courses in various subjects at universities in Philadelphia, she launched her career in tech at an insurance company where she was responsible for configuring hardware and teaching employees of independent insurance offices nationwide how to use word processing and policy illustration software. Scott then moved into a software training and database operations role at a large law firm and then advanced to manage the Development technology and CRM systems at a large children’s hospital in Philadelphia. Scott later moved to be the head of client events at a law firm and then into marketing operations, where she furthered her technical skills on her own.
“Sometimes, I would need to get something done and wouldn’t want to wait for the CRM team to do it, so I learned the back-end myself,” she said.
Whenever Scott finds a moment of free time, she enjoys helping non-profit organizations, gardening, reading, watercolor painting, and other crafty projects.
Recently, despite loving each of her jobs, Scott decided she wanted to transition her career back into tech to utilize the skills and knowledge that she has taught herself over the years.
And that is when her daughter introduced her to a program called PepUp Tech, a 10-week long boot camp that teaches students the technical and soft skills needed to grow a career in the tech industry. The program aims to help underrepresented groups and give participants exposure to career options in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Scott and her daughter went through the program together, working in the same group but from different households. They navigated through case studies and group projects to learn all of the things a Salesforce Admin needs to know while making many significant networking connections. Outside of learning new terminology, the most valuable part of the program was the encouraging employees and students Scott was surrounded by.
“PepUp Tech’s team not only have technical skills, but are approachable, helpful, and always try to push you past where you think your limits are,” she said.
As Scott became more acquainted with Salesforce, she fell in love with its culture, specifically how open and helpful the ecosystem is. For someone who values teamwork and congeniality, the Salesforce ecosystem has everything that Scott is looking for in a work environment.
Scott’s career goal is to find a position that combines portions of a Salesforce Admin and Business Analyst role. Despite Scott’s incredible hard work and determination, she has a great appreciation for PepUp Tech for giving her the confidence and technical skills she has today.
“PepUp Tech definitely opened a whole new world of possibilities for me,” she said.
Outside of spending time perfecting her watercolor painting skills, Scott continues putting her best foot forward in her career change journey. She has just officially become a Salesforce Essentials Advisor, where new and aspiring Admins connect with Salesforce Essentials customers to provide the additional assistance they need to set up Essentials for their businesses. She also assisted a local nonprofit in obtaining Salesforce licenses through the Power of Us program and customized their very own Salesforce org to eliminate their paper files and spreadsheets. Her next short-term goal is to obtain her Salesforce Admin Certification and then complete the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) Certification. Scott is looking forward to achieving these goals while following what one could say her motto is: “Close your eyes and jump in!”
Lorrie Scott serves as an inspiration to all; a self-starter who does not let obstacles get in her way of changing careers back into tech. Go Lorrie!
Congratulations! 