Have you ever considered what you want from your career? What motivates you?
Is it… an innovative ever changing industry? Money? Fast-paced career development? An infectious passion to want to know more?
Have you considered a career in technology?
The technology industry will give you the buzz you may be looking for. Even if you think you have no idea about tech, the beauty is, working in tech isn’t all about being a software programmer, there are so many routes to explore. A keen interest and passion is all you need.
There is still a major imbalance when it comes to gender in tech, but don’t let that put you off! The gender-gap is slowly closing and this year the tech industry saw the co-founder of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, become the World’s youngest self-made woman billionaire!
Women often feel the anxieties of not being good enough. We don’t share our achievements and we don’t share all of our successes. We need to be confident in ourselves and our ability. Why? It has been proven that many women won’t apply for a job if they don’t meet the whole criteria or have the exact experience. As a manager of an ever-growing tech team it is important that I see someone who has a passion for tech over anything else.
So, here are my, 5 Reasons Why Women Should Work in Technology:
1. Heaps of training available
Want to learn to code? Feel like you have an interest in cyber-security? The industry wants more women and there is so much training available if you know where to look. The variety of jobs available are endless so there is literally something to suit everyone, whether you are creative, practical or analytical, there is something for you.
It is safe to say that every day in the tech industry is a new day. I learn something new every week and that keeps me on my toes!
2. Opportunities and job security
The use of technology, whether it is for social media, ecommerce, gaming or design, is forever growing. We are in an era where we have technology on us 24/7 and this is only going to increase. The demand for jobs is only going to grow and when I find someone who is passionate and good at their job I find it hard to let them go!
There are many opportunities in tech. The opportunities for learning and developing your career is constant with the ever-changing tech needs. Depending on the job, you can have the opportunity to travel and network with other people in the industry. Within my organisation we have opportunities to travel to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, even Las Vegas and New York!
3. Increasing demand for women
There is an increasing demand for women in tech. According to Tech Nation only 19% of employees in the tech sector are females. Companies understand the importance of having a diverse workforce and many are actively seeking females. It has been proven that high gender diverse companies produce better returns. These companies are not only hiring women but also working hard to retain them to keep the competitive advantage.
4. Flexible and remote working
So, for me this is a huge benefit. In light of recent times it has become even more apparent that the ability to work from home is a huge advantage. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection and you can work from anywhere. Sometimes, I work from my favourite coffee shop. There is so much more freedom and opportunity!
Many tech companies promote flexible working as one of their perks!
5. Salary
The salary in the tech industry is great. I work in Bristol and the average salary on glassdoor.co.uk is between £42,500-£67,500. It is safe to say that although I work hard, the money is just a bonus. I enjoy every aspect of working in tech.
There has never been a better time for women to enter the industry than right now!
Whether you have just left school, returning to work after having children or just wanting a career change – there are so many options.
Useful resources
Learn to code:
khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming
University:
bathspa.ac.uk/courses/ug-computing
bath.ac.uk/departments/department-of-computer-science
courses.uwe.ac.uk/G400/computer-science
For kids:
Other:
Carly formerly ran #GIRLCODE at the Bath Central Library. #GIRLCODE is a free coding class for girls aged 8-14 who want to learn to code in a fun and friendly environment: vualto.com/company/girlcode
Twitter: @girlcodesw
This article was first published in 2021.