For many women, ‘tech’ can feel like an industry shrouded in mystery – elusive, jargon-filled, generally, dare I say…‘cloud’-y. It’s now been over 10 years since Marc Andreessen famously wrote about software ‘eating the world’, but the reality of what goes on behind the scenes (and on the screens) of the tech companies so central to our lives is still a mystery to the vast majority. The fact that around 75% of Australian tech jobs are filled by men certainly doesn’t help the women already feeling on the outside.
As it stands, there are still many systemic hindrances impacting the natural progression of a woman’s career in tech. Early on, there is gender stereotyping in childhood education, tilted career advice in high school, ill-defined networking and pathway opportunities (at scale) following school, and, less discussed, the casual conversations taking place in Australian living rooms that present tech as a career choice for others, and in particular, men. I’ve heard first hand, in the last 5 years, an account from a teenage girl who was told by a family member that working with computers would “hurt her brain”.
Contemplating a later-in-life transition to tech can feel very intimidating. There is very little established support for career transitions, from the government or from the companies who would benefit from this potential talent pool. And then there’s the domestic context, in which women are undertaking 21 hours more unpaid work at home per week than men.
These factors, and tech’s uncompromising rate of change, make the accessibility of entering tech and ‘imposter syndrome’ many women feel, even when well-entrenched in their tech career, unsurprising.
Don’t dismiss your unique skills
Looking from the inside out, however, my advice is ultimately to not be put off by what you think the industry might be, or, if you are already in a tech role, by the fact that you’re a minority in your team. On the contrary, trust that you do bring something valuable and uniquely ‘you’ to the industry – a message that I wish someone had told me (a woman that herself shifted into tech from another path), earlier in my career. Also, keep asking for what you want and believe you are deserving of it! There is truth in the old adage that “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Even if you aren’t entirely ready for something, signaling what you want to do allows others to know how to support you and that you will be considered when something that aligns with your interests and ambitions is available.
Continue reading: https://womenlovetech.com/how-can-you-have-a-career-in-tech-dont-be-afraid-to-ask/
As it stands, there are still many systemic hindrances impacting the natural progression of a woman’s career in tech. Early on, there is gender stereotyping in childhood education, tilted career advice in high school, ill-defined networking and pathway opportunities (at scale) following school, and, less discussed, the casual conversations taking place in Australian living rooms that present tech as a career choice for others, and in particular, men. I’ve heard first hand, in the last 5 years, an account from a teenage girl who was told by a family member that working with computers would “hurt her brain”.
Contemplating a later-in-life transition to tech can feel very intimidating. There is very little established support for career transitions, from the government or from the companies who would benefit from this potential talent pool. And then there’s the domestic context, in which women are undertaking 21 hours more unpaid work at home per week than men.
These factors, and tech’s uncompromising rate of change, make the accessibility of entering tech and ‘imposter syndrome’ many women feel, even when well-entrenched in their tech career, unsurprising.
Don’t dismiss your unique skills
Looking from the inside out, however, my advice is ultimately to not be put off by what you think the industry might be, or, if you are already in a tech role, by the fact that you’re a minority in your team. On the contrary, trust that you do bring something valuable and uniquely ‘you’ to the industry – a message that I wish someone had told me (a woman that herself shifted into tech from another path), earlier in my career. Also, keep asking for what you want and believe you are deserving of it! There is truth in the old adage that “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” Even if you aren’t entirely ready for something, signaling what you want to do allows others to know how to support you and that you will be considered when something that aligns with your interests and ambitions is available.
Continue reading: https://womenlovetech.com/how-can-you-have-a-career-in-tech-dont-be-afraid-to-ask/
