IWD 2020 - YOUR STORY

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. 

" We will no longer have to celebrate women in technology because it will no longer be a challenge to be involved in the technology industry as a woman"

As someone who has been working within the tech community for the last few years, it’s apparent that even with the latest attraction around diversity and inclusion strategies that many companies are starting to implement in order to bring awareness around creating diverse environments, the industry is still very much male-dominated. Research shows that within the development market 86% of the talent is male, so even though strategies are being put in place us women still have a long way to go in adopting equality, diversity and inclusion within workforces. 

I want to create a post in celebration of Women and the work that has been done so far to get us where we are, celebrate our wins and hopefully bring awareness around the struggles we have overcome. With the hope to inspire our networks in being able to achieve goals within their career regardless of the struggles they may face.

Over the past few weeks, I have been in conversation with Women in Tech from my network, asking about their own personal experiences and where they see the industry heading with the work that is being implemented today. 

** I intended to do this as a single blog post but as I have received a huge amount of response from WIT worldwide I would love to continue bringing awareness and create a series with all the information and responses I have received. 

If you would like to discuss taking part or collaborating with this, please reach out! **

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What would be the biggest piece of career advice you could give someone starting in technology/what advice would you give yourself when you first started?

Jennifer Ioannidou - Newcastle - Head of Product Delivery 

“In a nutshell, do not assume that others know more, do not assume that other people have all the answers and that their experience in life has afforded them with a perspective that is more valuable than yours. As a woman who has worked in Europe, the Middle East and the US, no matter the region, nine times out of ten I have found myself being the only, or one of the only women in the room. 

Many times, I have also been the youngest, or at least looked the youngest, which can be both a blessing and a curse! As a result, when I first started working in tech, people frequently behaved dismissively towards me, either not looking at me when I spoke, or simply talking over me. I would make a point or a suggestion, and it didn’t seem to be taken seriously. But when two weeks later an older, male colleague made the same suggestion, everyone seemed ready to listen. A decade ago, I felt that this was understandable; that their perspective and their opinion simply had more weight. What I realised in time is that I was the one giving their opinion more weight. I assumed they knew better, which sometimes they did, but not always. 

If I could go back in time, I would say to myself: “Trust yourself more, don’t speak just for the sake of speaking but if you have a perspective to share from experience; that has come from a position of research and if you are making a data-driven, risk assessed suggestion, don’t be scared to make yourself heard, to make yourself seen and to drive change forward. Once you start standing your ground and demonstrating your value, people will sit up straight and look you in the eye.”

Jessica Wong - Software Engineer - Manchester

“My biggest piece of advice to anything in technology would be 'There is always more to learn in life, especially in the technology industry. Therefore, even the most expert specialist will learn and make mistakes, so seek out workplaces where there is space to do this learning.'."

Melanie Ashby - JavaScript - Newcastle

“Don’t let assumptions about the tech industry put you off in any way, shape or form. This is a plea, because the really techie parts of the industry really do need to address the percentage of women working as developers in the workplace - women who should be playing a part to literally build our future.”

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What/who is it that inspires you to be the best example to both yourself and your surrounding environment in an industry that is constantly evolving?

Claudia Fernandez - Senior Android Freelancer - London

“My greatest achievement was moving to London and improve my career as Android Engineer. I am originally from Spain and I always felt attracted to working abroad. In 2015 I decided to move to London and see how far I could get. In 2 weeks, I found a job as an Android Dev to pay my bills but I felt the company didn’t have much room to grow so after helping them to ship some important products I switched to another company. After hard work, chance and trust I ended up being promoted the Technical Lead of the Android team giving my best and learning a lot.”

Jessica Wong - Java Engineer - Manchester 

“Inspired by the women before me, such as Ada Lovelace and the recently passed Katherine Johnson, I feel like it is my responsibility to build upon their legacy, even in the ordinary that I do. The world today is so much better than yesterday, and everyone contributes to that.”

Harriet Taylor - Android Developer - Manchester

“Everyone in the industry that’s pushing for inclusivity for all and breaking stereotypes. I've got some great work colleagues and university friends that are always helping each other out, it really is inspiring to see a community working together.”

Rehana Rajwani - Director - Toronto

"In a constantly evolving industry, my inspiration to be the best example to myself and my surrounding environment are the values with which I was raised. I have seen my parents work hard to give back to my community and they always worked with integrity. I aim to live the same values in my everyday life in hope to leave the world better than I found it."

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What or where do you hope to see the industry significantly changing in the next few years with the approaches and strategies that are being implemented?

Hannah Tinkler - PHP Developer - Manchester

“I think we still have a long way to go when it comes to hiring more women and minority demographics in tech. It's not enough to say that as an employer you consider all genders equally and based on their merits and achievements; recruitment is a fairly long process and encouraging a wider demographic to apply starts from the beginning. I saw a really inspirational talk by Kate Gorringe on gender disparity in hiring that really put this into perspective for me.

Apparently, data shows that men feel confident applying for a job when they meet only 60% of the requirements, compared to 100% for women - and that's not because they don't feel they could do the job well. When we write enthusiastically lengthy and exacting job requirements for a role because we want the best person for our team (knowing full well that we'd happily accept someone that meets just 5 or 6 of those in the end) we risk alienating women and other applicants that statistically share a more conservative or 'realistic' view of their own skills or potential to get hired.

Hearing this really changed how I went about getting a job I loved, but you shouldn't have to know the data to be in with a chance of getting there, you know? The talk was actually a bit mind-blowing for me, I still have to check myself a bit when I'm asked to write up job descriptions or person specifications!”

Jessica Wong - Software Engineer - Manchester

“I used to chair the Diversity and Inclusion Group at my workplace and the end vision for the group was that the group would become obsolete. The idea of 'diversity' will simply define the variety of personality and individuality, and not by the non-optional traits of a person. Gradually, we will no longer have to celebrate women in technology, because it will no longer be a challenge to be involved in the technology industry as a woman.”

Harriet Taylor - Android Developer - Manchester 

“I'd love there to be more women in the technology industry. Especially in technical roles such as software engineering, data analytics and testing. I believe a more diverse workforce can come up with completely different solutions because of all the different perspectives and ideas merging together.”

Of course there is sexism in the industry, as there is in any sector, but tech is future-thinking and forward-looking, and there is acknowledgement and desire to change things. There are also a good few blind spots about what would make the industry less of a boys’ club and attract women to tech: we need to find ways of how to make the industry appeal to the lasses as much as it does to the lads - I’m talking school age and before, when girls are led to think that ‘building stuff’ is not for them.

I think there was a lurch in the 90s, at the beginning of web, to ‘geek culture’, thanks to the likes of The Matrix - which made men into gods of geek and left women out of the equations. Women need to get back to the codeface. After all, geek culture is a glitch in the matrix: historically women have been at the forefront of coding and innovations in this industry. 

In some parts of the world tech is very much a women’s job because it can be done from home (paying attention to the somewhat troubling roots of this). But women I’ve met - from Iran, from Russia - have discovered license to travel, to be active and be top of their game - something not accessible in other jobs.

For me, entering the industry at a rather late stage (I’m 50 this year), I’m finding it a hugely rewarding and satisfying industry, and I’ve found the people I work with to be very generous and supportive. I also feel extremely proud to be part of the growing brigade of women in this area.

Unlike some other jobs I’ve had (in my journalistic career, for instance), I’ve found that women lookout for other women in their ranks, and men welcome the diversity, the challenges to male uni-culture and balancing effect of simply having women around as a natural part of working life. I have a strong belief that uni-cultures - race, class, gender, sexuality - are just not that good for us, deaden creativity, obstruct progress and make for a boring life.

Advice-wise: don’t underestimate your abilities - as women we need to add a weighting function that factors in our tendency to under-estimate relative to men to over-estimate ability. And don’t let them tell you that women aren’t natural coders * - they are, they have been and will continue to be. Women also bring other qualities to the business that are integral to teamwork and the development process; good communicators are prized by developers and employers over lone wolves, cowboys and geniuses...

* One of my esteemed (male) mentors told me that he’s not great at maths but is very good with language - and linguistic ability is a big player in the ability to code.

Traci Cheng - Co-Founder - Toronto

Despite everything you’re told in school or what you see in other’s careers, career paths are not as linear as perceived… and that’s okay!

When I graduated my Media, Information & Techno culture degree (what!?), I had no idea where to go. I looked around at my peers and found that most were pursued a career in Marketing or public relations.

Thinking that was the best path, I went to PR school and kicked off my career in PR. I quickly discovered that I did not want to be a public relations professional. I tried a large agency; I tried a small agency… nothing seemed to click. However, I did like the tech clients I had the opportunity to be exposed to.

I initially hoped to transition right from PR into Marketing in the tech startup world, however, it didn’t translate as I lacked digital marketing experience. Finding the job market to be unforgiving, I applied for a Business Development role. I asked to be given tasked with some marketing assignments, so I could better understand the flow between marketing and sales. Overtime, I positioned myself to be transitioned into marketing full-time.

 Similarly, the next tech start-up I went was not hiring marketing at the time. I truly believed in the mission they hoped to achieve, and I offered to take on a Customer Service role. Again, I asked to be given marketing assignments… this time to better understand our customer profile to support marketing initiatives. Within three months, I was moved to a full-time marketing position.

At times, I did feel I was falling behind my peers, but I’ve had to learn that each career journey is different. While these are not the traditional way to obtain a desired position, the lateral moves afforded me a foot into the door of companies I wanted to be at. Mutually, it allowed the companies to recognize my aptitude and potential, as I took on multiple hats to help the businesses excel.

Harriet Taylor - Android Developer - Manchester

“My biggest piece of career advice for somebody starting in the technology is to stick it out. It might get hard and challenging at times but there's nothing more rewarding than completing a project that you doubted yourself on to begin with. I'd also point out that imposter syndrome is real and to keep that in mind when these doubts pop into your mind.”

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With this blog, I am hoping that as a community we can bring awareness through personal experiences, struggles and wins.

I have received more answers than I anticipated and I am still in contact with a lot more developers, engineers and leaders that are all wanting to share their story. From this, I plan to post another piece going forward for us all to educate ourselves from each others experiences.

If you would like to share your story or would like to be involved in where to take to this then, please feel free to get in contact.

Girl Power!

Hayleigh xx

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/