Meet Kelly
Kelly is a recent graduate of Auburn University and a new Pega CSA. Her goal is to become associated with a company where she can utilize her skills and gain further experience while enhancing the company’s productivity and reputation.
Kelly Crittenden
IT Apprentice
Columbus, Georgia
Alma Mater
Auburn University
Dream Vacation
Bali
Favorite Sports Team
Auburn football
Career Goals/Objectives
To become CSSA certified and work as a lead developer
Let’s start off by learning a bit more about your life prior to Pega. Where are you from originally and what is your educational background?
Before diving into Pega, I became interested in business and technology in high school. I joined an organization known as FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) where I put my interest to the test by competing in things like digital design. I graduated high school with a pathway in technology and soon went off to Auburn University. Once I entered college, I thought I would have to choose between business and technology before I found Information Systems Management to be the perfect major.
Soon I realized I was way more in touch with my technical side and decided to take on my first IT internship. I had my first exposure to Pega that summer. Once I graduated, I was determined to gain more knowledge on the Pega platform.
What motivated you to learn how to use Pega?
During my internship, Pega was a hot commodity that sparked my attention quickly. The thought of a “no-code, low-code” platform was interesting and I needed to see how it worked. Line-by-line code was never my top interest, so I was eager to learn more about Pega! I became CSA certified in October 2019 and I am now working towards getting my CSSA.
"During my internship, Pega was a hot commodity that sparked my attention quickly. The thought of a “no-code, low-code” platform was interesting."
How has Pega shaped or impacted your career?
Although I am just starting my IT career, Pega has definitely kept me on my toes. I really have to take the time to think about whether something is actually Pega’s best practice or if I’m just trying to get the application to work. Critical thinking will never go out of style as long as you are working in IT. Pega helps keep my creative juices flowing.
What message or advice would you give to anyone who is considering a career as a Pega Developer?
My advice is to not give up even if it seems as if the concepts are difficult to grasp. This is not traditional coding so you will have to think outside of the box. The training modules really helped me before I dove into a Pega team headfirst. After that, I took a boot camp training for the CSA and that gave me even more insight into Pega. Like anything you pick up, practice makes perfect!
"I took a boot camp training for the CSA and that gave me even more insight into Pega."