Stories from the Field: Tamika Fields

As her last name might suggest, Tamika Fields is well-suited for a life in the field.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands – taking things apart and putting them back together,” she says. Early on, she knew she didn’t want to work in an office every day. Her hands-on approach to work (and life) meant she would rather work at a diverse set of worksites, encountering new problems and developing solutions.

Her interest in technology began at a young age when a teacher introduced her to some essential computer skills. Recognizing that these skills were “the wave of the future,” she became a sponge for technical know-how. Tamika remembers an early milestone: making a stick figure dance on the screen by writing a few lines of code. In her words, she “enjoyed being the wizard behind the curtain that made everything happen.”

For Tamika, IT services is a fundamentally creative field. By taking a creative approach, she not only gets the job done, but sets clients up for future success.

“Approaching an IT job creatively gives you insight that you might not otherwise have. It means not being limited by a framework. It means asking myself, ‘Is there a better way for all parties involved to do this better?’”

“My creativity is what allows me to traverse technology needs for different industries,” she continues. “Healthcare, government, retail, education, nonprofits, film festivals – they all have different needs that must be met, but my skill set lets me seamlessly drop into them and provide them with key services.”

This sense of freedom also informs her interest in working as an independent contractor, which she has done exclusively since 2016.

“The standard workday model doesn’t always accommodate work-life balance and balance is important to me,” she says. “There were times that I had to leave the industry to go to school full time and or to be more present as a parent. With independent contracting, there is flexibility to select the type of work that helps you maintain a high-quality lifestyle without sacrifices.”

On-site talent platforms added a sense of ease to this flexible work style.

“When I discovered Field Nation, I was at a turning point in my life,” she notes. “I decided to only pursue jobs that aligned with my skill level, and that goal is supported by the platform’s functionality.”

For Tamika, this flexibility and freedom are balanced out by efficiency, which she takes very seriously.

“When I come to work, I come to work! I don’t want to stand around aimlessly,” she says. “I don’t want to be idling on someone’s payroll; I’d rather be out in the world having my own experiences and then, when you need me, I’ll come in and efficiently get the job done!”

With a philosophy like this, it’s hardly surprising that Tamika has earned a reputation amongst her clients for service of the highest quality. When asked what superior service means to her, she says, “It means weaving process improvement into the workflow. Instead of waiting for quality checks later, focus on improving all aspects of the process the first time. That way, you are better set up to continuously make improvements.”

When she’s not working and pandemic restrictions permit, Tamika participates in dance, martial arts, and enjoys theater and comedy shows. She creates and trades playlists with friends and listens to these playlists while she drives from worksite to worksite.

Her spirit of creativity has attracted a group of friends composed largely of musicians and artists, as well as friends who work in ecology and conservation. “I like to surround myself with people who stimulate my curiosity.”

Her advice for someone considering a career in IT service? “Stay curious, my friend!”