Meet BDK Jr. Software Analyst
Corynn Sumida
At BDK, Inc., one of our biggest assets is our people. Our teams are comprised of innovators, problem solvers, trailblazers, and leaders with more than a century of combined experience in the IT field. Our motto, “IT Made Simple” directly correlates to our down-to-earth and service-oriented employees who make IT approachable for our customers.
We previously spotlighted our Software Development (DEV) Team and the data collection, distribution, and interrogation services they provide to our customers. This week, Corynn Sumida, Jr. Software Analyst on BDK’s DEV team speaks to her experience as a woman in tech, day-to-day responsibilities, and what makes BDK a great place for IT professionals to work and grow.
What is your role at BDK?
As a Jr. Software Analyst on the DEV team, I primarily work on report generation for one of our largest data analytics customers, as well as maintenance. Additionally, I support our EDI/ERP team in helping with invoices and shipping data transfer. As a more junior member of the team, I also handle a lot of odds and ends stuff for the team needs.
How did you end up in the IT field and ultimately working for BDK?
I originally went to school with the intent of being an art major. However, about halfway through college, I started getting a major art block and was unsure if that was the correct field for me. My dad recommended that I consider switching to IT, so I signed up for a couple of classes and fell in love with Python, which is a programming language.
From there, I enrolled at Chesapeake College to pursue a degree in Computer Science. As part of earning my degree, I had to complete an internship, which BDK partners with Chesapeake to provide. Once providing my resume to BDK’s Vice President, I started the internship in September 2021, and that ultimately turned into a full-time role in January 2022 once I graduated.
Describe your typical day as a Jr. Software Analyst?
My typical day consists of completing various projects assigned by my manager, Dennis. Currently, the DEV team is in the process of recreating the schedules for reports for our largest business analytics client, as a result of a recent WebFOCUS update. When I have down time, I also work on writing documentation for the WebFOCUS portal for clients, which provides details about what is in the report and what the report looks like.
We manage hundreds of reports, and we need to make sure they are always working and available to the customer, so I have been given opportunities to test and try to break the Excel file so we can get ahead of any issues proactively. Other ad hoc projects I’ve been assigned have included creating sales summaries, dashboards, performance reports, and inventory reports.
What do you enjoy most about working for BDK?
The thing I like most about working for BDK though is the people. It feels like a close-knit family of absolute strangers. Additionally, as a woman in tech, there have been times where I feel I am easily intimidated, so having leaders like Edwina to look up to makes me feel more empowered and inspired to give hard things a try.
Given I’m still new in my career, I know that as I continue to grow, there will be more opportunities to hone and present my skills, so I look forward to seeing what more comes out of working for BDK.
To read more “Day in the Life” features and to learn more about our team, click here.