P2P

P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · F A L L 2 0 2 5 35 MARYNA'S JOURNEY Maryna's professional journey began in Ukraine, where she worked as a lawyer and legal analyst at a legal tech company. Her work focused on bridging the gap between law and technology—a theme that would continue to define her career. After relocating to the United States, Maryna pursued a certificate in data analysis and earned the CompTIA Data+ certification, equipping her with the technical skills needed to dive deeper into data-driven projects. Her volunteer work with Court Watch Montgomery, where she monitored domestic violence protective order cases, demonstrated her commitment to justice and advocacy. Eventually, she began volunteering with ILTA, serving as a session coordinator at ILTACON, ILTA's annual conference. It was there that she connected with Rebecca Sattin, who invited her to join the Women in Security Committee. Maryna's dual background in law and data made her the ideal person to lead the development of the Skills Matrix. She brought not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of the challenges faced by women in the legal tech industry, as well as a passion to help others. TACKLING COMPLEXITY WITH CLARITY One of the most significant challenges Maryna faced was transforming a dense, multi-layered dataset into a user-friendly visualization. A group of ten women compiled the original data in a Smartsheet. It included numerous categories, subcategories, and sub-subcategories. This structure, while comprehensive, was challenging to navigate and interpret. Maryna's solution was to simplify the matrix into two core categories, allowing for a cleaner and more intuitive design. She chose PowerBI as the visualization platform due to its seamless integration with Microsoft Excel, user-friendly interface, and widespread familiarity among committee members. Initially, Maryna used the desktop version of PowerBI, which was tied to her school account and limited in terms of sharing capabilities. Transitioning to the cloud-based version resolved these issues and enabled smoother collaboration across the committee. DESIGNING FOR DIVERSE AUDIENCES The Skills Matrix serves two primary audiences: job seekers and employers. • Job Seekers can use the matrix to match their existing skills to one of 18 professional fields in legal IT security. This helps them identify roles that align with their strengths and pinpoint areas for growth. • Employers can use the matrix to identify essential skills for specific roles. By breaking down a role into its component skills, hiring managers can more easily assess internal talent and build inclusive, effective teams. The matrix uses a five-point rating system to highlight both technical and interpersonal skills. A rating of five indicates that a skill is vital for a particular role. This approach emphasizes that soft skills—such as communication, collaboration, and leadership—are just as critical as technical expertise. Soft skills—such as communication, collaboration, and leadership—are just as critical as technical expertise.

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