Working at Zscaler has been a transformative experience for Becky Miller, deployment services project manager on the deployment services team, but her love of animals and sports helps enrich her life outside of work. We interviewed Becky for her two-year work anniversary on May 14, 2020. Becky is one reason Zscaler is a Great Place to Work!
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What is your background?
I grew up here in San Jose, then went to undergrad in Wisconsin at Marquette University. I’d decided to live in the snow for a bit, but that was horrible so I came back. When I returned, I worked at a recruiting company as a software development project manager for about six years.
What drew you to Zscaler?
I decided it was time for a change after six years in my previous role, so I started applying and heard back first from Zscaler. It sounded like a really great opportunity and a good learning experience. Everything fell into place really easily and now I’ve been at Zscaler for two years. It’s been really fun so far, so I’m happy about the move I decided to make.
Give us an overview of your role at Zscaler
The deployment services team helps customers who purchase our products get started, get set up, then actually deploy. I help with a lot of the scheduling and organizing and keep track of project schedules to ensure we set each customer up for success and deploy within the project timeframe.
What’s an example of a project you worked on recently?
I helped lead the initial COVID-19 customer assistance effort. At first it was only China, then it expanded to Japan and Korea before evolving into a global business continuity program. We helped our customers fast-track their deployment to get employees set up working from home. It was definitely rewarding to help our customers out when they needed us most. I’ve also worked on some of the bigger accounts as well, including one company that rolled out ZPA for 11,000 users in a matter of days. That was an interesting one.
Speaking of working from home, how are you adjusting?
It’s not too bad. My desk is in my bedroom, so I’m a little sick of working in there. I definitely miss my standing desk, my coworkers, and the snacks, but other than that, it’s not bad. Most of my work is remote anyway, since my position is customer-facing, so it hasn’t been too big of a change. My dog Minerva is very happy to have me home though!
Do you have any tips for working from home?
Getting your day started and changing out of your pajamas is definitely important. I also think having a dedicated workspace with your monitor and keyboard and other equipment helps to ease the adjustment. Be sure to get outside, take a walk, and get some fresh air. And lastly, set a work cut off time so you don’t overwork yourself. It’s so easy to do when we’re home all the time.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
When there isn’t a pandemic, I coach volleyball for girls at City Beach Volleyball Club in Santa Clara. I grew up playing volleyball and played competitively in high school and then did intramural volleyball in college. I also volunteer at the Humane Society on the weekends.
What advice would you give someone looking to get into project management?
Be organized, be friendly, and be helpful. Finding creative ways to stay organized is so important, because it’s my job to keep everybody else organized, so if I’m a bit of a mess then everything else isn’t going to follow through. Being friendly is a good way to ensure that people will want to work with you again in the future. And going out of your way to find ways to be helpful makes a good impression and takes some of the burden off of other team members and customers.
Join Becky and the rest of the team!
Visit our careers page to explore opportunities in project management as well as the many other roles in which you can help Zscaler drive secure digital transformation for enterprises around the world.
Read Next:
Meet Zscaler: How a Busy Family Man, Salesman, and Outdoorsman Just Keeps Truckin’
Meet the People Who Make Zscaler a Great Place to Work
Kristi Myllenbeck is a copywriter at Zscaler
