The topic of women in the IT sector was started a few years back in the US when statistics showed that the industry is predominantly male. According to Deloitte Global, sizable global technology firms will have nearly 33 percent overall female representation in their workforces by 2022. However, when you ask the three women who already work in the IT sector, they have different opinions.
For one, women in the tech industry shouldn’t be a topic as our colleagues are doing their jobs just like any other female in different sectors. So this blog is not an overview of the position of women in software development companies such as TNation, but rather the point of view of female employees in the so-called “male-driven industry.”
However, there is a gender gap in the tech sector, and many countries are calling for women to step up and enter the industry. But, even in Europe, women have an undeniable level of tech knowledge, and throughout history, the most prominent were Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. However, regardless of the success, it is a fact that there should be more women in the IT industry, and the public should stop further fueling the stereotypes.
Numerous studies define the differences between men and women, which further deepens the gender distinction that should not exist in the first place. Software development is a sector that depends on teamwork. Without a team, there is no software product. That means that analysis based on gender differences creates conflict between the members.
Like in any business in the world, people choose their jobs for passion, fulfilment, or financial compensation. Each person starts with affinities according to a specific skill. Throughout life, these affinities are upgraded, and a person becomes a professional. It seldom has anything to do with childhood dreams. Life leads a person in the direction where they find a place in a particular industry. The point is, for example, if someone is a great problem solver, it should not matter whether they are a male or female.
Thoughts of Women in the Tech Industry in TNation Software Development Company
There are a lot of speculations surrounding the subject, and people’s views differ from one another. So, we asked TNation’s female employees some questions about the women in the IT sector and what they think about being female in men dominated industry.
From an Ancient Sport to Modern Technology – Dragana Savanović, BI Developer
Dragana is an Australian-born Business Intelligence Developer with years of experience in different sectors, including military and IT. She has various interests, and as a child, she was a discus thrower dreaming big to go to the Olympics.
What was your dream job as a child?
I always thought I would be in sports, as I was throwing the discus from the age of 7 and competing for the national youth representation for a couple of years later, with excellent results. My only dream was to go to the Olympics. However, after a couple of injuries and finishing university, they got me thinking that maybe that is not what I am supposed to do.
What piqued your interest in working in the IT industry in the first place?
I had no clue what I would do and what career path I would like to have. So I guess I was lucky to find my way very early and enter the IT world.
I started my career in a bank, working close to the project management department, where I got to see the bigger picture of the system and see how big of scope was covered by the IT department. As soon as I got the opportunity, I moved closer to technologies and analytics as I had already enjoyed it on the first project.
If you ask me now, from this point of view, why I would at all be interested in IT, I would say the possibilities there are. If you don’t find yourself in one specific field (coding, analytics, project management, the list goes on and on), you can move around and see what you prefer. In addition, you are often more than welcome to learn things that are not strictly related to your current tasks and projects.
In your opinion, is the IT field dominated by men?
As much as I would like to say it isn’t, all the statistics point to my answer being – yes, it is.
Though this is not a male or female field or any other kind of inequality or discrimination.
Everybody is more than welcome to join.
How much do you think the industry has changed since you joined?
If we speak on the technical part, you have to keep track and love learning. You have to be prepared for various challenges daily regarding new things.
Personally, even though it was pretty flexible when I started, I would say that the flexibility now has no limits, especially with the work from home policies that the pandemic made most companies do (something to be grateful for).
Besides that, the communities for all segments are growing stronger, knowledge is more accessible, and teams are getting more diverse.
The atmosphere within teams is also becoming more relaxed and patient. I’ll give you a few examples of what happened just this week:
- Your dog is welcome to listen to the meeting and look at us every morning.
- Do you want to take a break and go for a run? You are more than welcome.
- You want to take a nap after a meeting, just notify the team they’ll cover you.
- If your baby is crying, no worries, drop out of the meeting. We will send you notes or catch up later.
What do you consider the best aspect of being a Woman in the Tech Industry?
More chocolate and flowers, for us. The guys get beer, and we can drink it with them.
I wouldn’t make a difference between women and men in the industry. A team is a team. There is no: you and me, girl or boy.
In general speaking, my experience has shown that you have to be a hard worker, keep track, give your maximum at all points, speak up, and then you don’t have to worry about being a girl, because then being a girl means you get to wear heels in meetings.
One of the things I enjoy most, especially in TNation, is the healthy atmosphere there, even when the deadlines are tight. Minimum stress, everybody does their part of the job, you don’t have to carry work home (I mean because you already are home) and the most important thing is that you can learn something new every day.
How do you succeed in a tech career?
Learn. Communicate. Never be scared of asking a question.
Speak up; your idea might be the one that will save the team days even weeks of work. It might not work the first ten times, but that’s not a reason to give up. It’s OK not to be sure what you are doing. You’ll eventually find the solution.
What motivates you every day?
I love learning, and as I have mentioned, the opportunities are limitless. A healthy atmosphere in the team is also one of the most helpful things that get me up in the morning.
I think you have to enjoy where you are. Work is at least 33% of your day, so make it the best percentage possible.
What is the least common job for a woman in the IT industry?
I would say security, just from experience, doesn’t mean it is a fact.
What does it mean to be a woman in tech for you?
We’re a minority in the field, no matter if we want to admit it or not. I try to give my best to support all ladies coming into the industry. If I see a girl/woman being shy (as girls are often more shy than men), I lend her a hand, let her know I am there for her, send her a message to see how she is and if she is struggling. A smile can help you get through tough times. Though I have the same approach for male colleagues, so again, what I mean is that there is no significant difference gender-wise.
How do you balance work and life?
Easy. As I already mentioned, flexibility and minimum stress.
When I started, I needed some time after work to study, Google, and catch up with the technologies, but every beginning is rough, right? As soon as I updated with all I needed, the balance came by itself.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
I heard this quote at a Talk once:
“Life doesn’t always present you with the perfect opportunity at the perfect time. Opportunities come when you least expect them or when you’re not ready for them. Opportunities, the good ones, are hard to recognize. They’re risky. They challenge you.” – Susan Wojcicki.
And I have a few to get you through the day:
- Google is your best friend.
- Take a deep breath. You got this!
- If you don’t like it, move. You’re not a tree.
- Never forget to smile and have a bit of fun.
Anything you wish you knew while entering the tech world?
I could make a whole book based on this question!
- Instead of being scared and shy, be open and excited.
- It’s OK to find a solution and have a great idea while looking at the ceiling or taking a shower.
- It’s 5% work and 95% debugging. (maybe not exact proportions but close)
- If you’re not sure, Google it. You don’t have to know everything by heart. Just bookmark it for next time.
Adventuring into Tech – Nataša Đorđević, Project Manager
Nataša has recently switched career industries from media and advertising to software development. She has an adventurous spirit, one that likes exploring the wonders of nature. Perhaps that is what led her to switch to tech. We asked our daredevil about her experience.
What was your dream job as a child?
As a child, my dream job was to be a lawyer.
I was fascinated by lawyers and their ability to analyze situations and people, defend the innocent, and accuse the offenders after watching numerous TV series about law and order.
However, as time passed by, channels broadcasted other TV series. So, foreign languages and literature became something I knew I would dedicate my whole life to. But one cannot always plan for everything, which is why I’m here.
What first sparked your interest in working in the IT industry?
The IT industry is constantly growing and developing, just as it was in media and advertising when I started my career there many years ago. No aspect of life is not affected by the IT industry nowadays. Perhaps inspiration to work in IT is the opportunity to collaborate with people worldwide on the same project or even in the same team.
Is the IT field male-dominated, in your opinion?
Here in Serbia, men are dominant in the IT field. One of the reasons for this, it appears to me, is that the IT industry is a dynamic field that may appear insecure to someone in the long run, and we all know how women aspire to be safe and secure.
What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?
I am looking forward to revealing the best part since I am new in the industry. From this point of view, it’s great to work in a team where we have both women and men, young and mature, from Serbia and from abroad. This diversity, both with flexibility in working together with an exciting project, is something most women would like to have in their workplace.
What motivates you every day?
Since I am new in the business, the primary motivation is to learn something new every day and get to know the team members and clients.
The quote you like best related to the IT industry?
“If it works, don’t touch it! “
What is the least common job for a woman in the IT industry?
The least common job for a woman in the IT industry is a Developer. One of the reasons for that is that women lack role models in the tech industry. So I think that relevant people should pay special attention to attracting girls to tech schools, show them that they aren’t only for boys, and explain to them that technology is a broad sector and covers a diverse range of roles and opportunities.
What does it mean to be a woman in tech for you?
Being a woman in the tech industry is like being a “limited edition.” But nowadays, tech is going mainstream. The typical ‘tech stereotype’ is a thing of the past, and now is the time to change perceptions. Women bring a unique voice to the table. They are naturally good at handling interpersonal relationships and help create a harmonious work environment.
How do you balance work and life?
It’s not hard to balance work and life when working in a healthy working atmosphere and in a well-organized team where everyone knows their responsibilities.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
If you want to be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work, and if you do something just for the money, you won’t succeed.
A Polyglot in Debugging – Ana Radišić, QA Automation Engineer
Ana has a decade of experience in QA testing. Ana is highly dedicated to her job, but in her spare time, she learns seven languages. We asked a polyglot about her views on the topic of women in tech.
What was your dream job as a child?
To do a job where I can use mathematical abilities.
What first sparked your interest in working in the IT industry?
The first time I bought my PC.
Is the IT field male-dominated, in your opinion?
Yes, it is.
How much do you think the industry has changed since you joined?
A lot. It is changing each day.
What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?
I never thought of the differences between men and women working in the tech industry. It is my job.
How do you succeed in a tech career?
I like the challenges of my job, and I am eager to learn.
What motivates you every day?
New stuff to learn and problems to solve.
The quote you like best related to the IT industry?
“Everyone is a genius, but you should never force a fish to fly.”
What is the least common job for a woman in the IT industry?
DevOps, I would say.
How do you balance work and life?
I enjoy my work and love my life. The balance naturally comes with that attitude.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
Never give up.
Anything you wish you knew while entering the tech world?
I jumped into it enthusiastically. And still have enthusiasm.
Dancing and Coding – Ana Dedović, Java Developer
Champion of Serbia in Standard Dances Ana has a couple of years of experience in software development. While dancing is a passion, Ana’s love for logical thinking guided her to computer science.
What first sparked your interest in working in the IT industry?
I never actually knew what I would like to do as a grown-up, but I knew that math was always intriguing, and I loved solving mathematical problems. That is why I wanted to study areas where I can utilize this knowledge and logic understanding. In addition, logical thinking helped me understand how computer science and programming languages work.
Is the IT field male-dominated, in your opinion?
The truth is that most people think of a developer as a male programmer, but I can happily say that I know many successful women in the IT industry. Also, I see that many countries and companies are starting or enhancing the ‘Women in IT industry’ concept.
How much do you think the industry has changed since you started?
Even though I started working in this industry almost three years ago, I can see the constant changes. I think it is one of the most thriving industries, and we, as developers, need to constantly stay up to date with all the changes and expand and improve our knowledge.
How do you succeed in a tech career?
As I mentioned before, constantly learning and expanding my knowledge to stay up to date with all the technologies. This is also necessary for us to stay concurrent since more people choose this industry for their careers.
What motivates you every day?
Today’s motivation is the will to be a better version of me than yesterday!
The quote you like best related to the IT industry?
“Technology is best when it brings people together.” – Matt Mullenweg.
What does it mean to be a woman in tech for you?
It means that the world and civilization are changing and that we, as women, can now be proud of all the things we have achieved and have the freedom of choosing our profession and way of living.
How do you balance work and life?
Since my young age, I have always had to balance my school/faculty and professional Dancesport career. That stayed the same when I started working in this industry. I always know my obligations and priorities, and based on that, I can plan my day/week/month. Also, I firmly believe that a good and healthy atmosphere in the team contributes to a good balance and motivates each member.
What is the best professional advice you’ve ever received?
Never stop studying and improving!
Conclusion
Women in the tech industry are not that different from their male colleagues. However, the topic gained traction when the US complained that women in the sector had lower wages than their coworkers a few years back. In addition, there was some speculation that employers never offered higher management positions to female engineers.
However, it depends on the point of view. There is nothing strange about it in someone’s eyes, while others think this is a topic that relevant institutions should address in the long run. The truth is somewhere in between, as our TNation employees have mentioned. If you have the will and passion for doing the job, there should be no obstacles, especially not stereotypes.
