How women can break into the tech industry

In recent years, the gender imbalance in the technology industry has been tackled to some extent. Major role models, such as Marissa Mayer of Yahoo!, have shown that it’s possible to surge ahead no matter what sex you are, while plenty of women are enjoying careers at all levels of the tech industry. However, there’s unfortunately still a major problem: in A Level computing classes, for example, under 10% of all students are girls. One way to combat this is to inspire women all over Britain to break into the tech world through research, confidence and increased knowledge about what the sector entails.

Be confident

While there’s no hard and fast rule about how people of each gender behave, anyone who has ever worked in an office will have noticed that it’s not uncommon for men to talk louder and more often in meetings. As a result, women sadly sometimes have to make sure that they are as confident as possible in order to make their mark. As Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and the author of an inspiring book about women in tech called Lean In, wrote: “Fortune does favor the bold and you’ll never know what you’re capable of if you don’t try.”

Do your research

Once you’re feeling a little more confident about your abilities and chances, it’s worth doing plenty of research in order to assuage as many of your concerns as possible. Some women find that they have a specific worry in place that is holding them back. If you’re concerned about, say, how you’d get paid if you take on one of the many contractor jobs in the tech world, then you can spend this time finding reputable contractor services for agencies with which to work.

Network like mad

One thing that is pretty essential in the tech job field is networking. It’s how many job vacancies are found and filled these days, and it’s also a good way to build your confidence. There are women-only networking events available as well as ones open to all, so it’s your choice. Attending these may be something of a challenge if you’re not based near London or another major technology hub such as Manchester, but it’s still possible. Using websites such as Meetup can help. At these events, it’s important to speak to as many people as possible in order to get your name out there. It’s also important to go into them as full of knowledge as possible: that way, you’ll be able to hold your own in conversations.

Working in the tech sector is a rewarding choice to make no matter what your gender is. However, unfortunately, women sometimes face more challenges than men do, and may need to take different steps. If you’re a woman looking to enter this field, then it’s worth your while planning your researching, networking and confidence strategies in order to find the perfect role and ace the interview. Once you’ve done that, your successful tech career is just around the corner.