My First Job: Human Tech

Tech is more than data and systems — it’s ultimately about the people it serves.

Understanding the small ‘p’ politics in the office and being a people-first leader are qualities that Sairah Ijaz (MSBA’24) picked up on her first job. As an IT specialist for the Social Security Administration, Ijaz gleaned insights from more experienced colleagues and learned from their expertise. In turn, she offered new ideas that established her credibility and built a foundation for long-term sustainable change in each of her successive roles.

From her time at the Government Accountability Office to a pivot to the private sector and back, Ijaz has had a 20-year career as a federal government employee. Most recently, she served as the chief information and chief AI officer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Her time at HUD spanned six roles, each built on the belief that people matter as much as IT systems, and she was intentional about building relationships in the tech industry when that wasn’t the norm. She regularly looked for growth opportunities to push her personal and professional skills.

“I was willing to try new things, learn something new, and go out of the box from what I was comfortable with. That really helped me learn which way to go,” she says. “Attitude matters more than your experience.”

While at HUD, she enrolled in the M.S. in Business Analytics program, where courses on the psychology of big data, ethics in AI, and change management reinforced that technology must serve society. Ijaz applied this lesson at work by fostering collaboration that boosted staff trust in management by 20%, according to survey results. The program’s emphasis on community highlighted another lesson: networking is a career multiplier.

“There are different avenues you can go in a career,” Ijaz notes. She believes genuine conversations and asking for advice — not directly asking for a job — is what creates the most meaningful opportunities.

This story was originally featured in the Georgetown Business Fall 2025 Magazine. Download the Georgetown Business Audio app to listen to the stories and other bonus content.