Meet Christina Somerville

I got involved with PDXWIT when I was new to Portland and was pursuing a career change or shift. My husband had moved into technology from design and I was also looking into it as a new industry for my sales career. Being new to town and new to the industry, I knew I wanted to meet people personally and professionally. Networking through this group accomplished both of objectives.

Through PDXWIT, I have had the chance to meet fantastic women in various functions within technology. You learn about companies you never knew existed, plus you learn the inside scoop on things like pending hiring. While there seems to be a number of women-focused technology groups in Portland, what I like most about this group is that the representation is so wide open. You meet women who are developers as well as others who work in marketing or operations.

My best advice on getting the most out of WIT is to try to make an effort to consistently attend the monthly happy hours. Through consistency, you start to recognize faces and form connections. That's where the networking pays off -- over the long term. Also, by attending each month, you have the benefit of checking out new cool technology spaces around the city. It's exciting -- a lot is happening!