"When I read statistics like only 17% of tech specialists are women and only 3% of women say a career in tech is their first choice, it blows my mind..."

'this is a man's world...'

There is no denying that the industry has long been male-dominated and there are a number of barriers that need to be overcome in order to increase the number of women that choose to go into the Tech sector.

When I read statistics like only 17% of Tech specialists are women and only 3% of women say a career in Tech is their first choice, it blows my mind! But unfortunately, I do not have enough space in this blog to address those issues, but I do want to share my journey in the hopes of inspiring more people (especially women) to follow a similar path.

'to the window...'

If i'm honest, I had no idea that I would end up as a global Data Analyst for a Tech firm. But perhaps, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised as when I was younger, I saw computers as the future, (which feels incredibly cheesy to say out loud, given the increasingly digital world we currently find ourselves in) and I wanted to play my part.

I was fascinated with the fact that the buttons on a keyboard could take you to a whole other place through a screen and even now, with the various computer languages I know, I’m still impressed with what I’m able to achieve on a computer; with a bit of script here, a few clicks there, and some swipes over there - I am able to make boring and tired datasets 'sing' and 'dance' on dashboard visualisations!

'haters gonna hate...'

I come from a very progressive family and, despite the many stereotypes that come with having family that live in Bangladesh and India - my family are always supportive and encourage the girls in the family to be educated and independent. My parents had and, in some respects, still do struggle to understand the importance of IT and tech. A lot of my family members have sought out careers in similar fields to one another; working in finance, teaching or becoming a doctor. But despite them not really knowing much about the subject, my family has always been supportive of my career choice. As long as it made me happy, they had nothing they wished to comment on.

Unfortunately, some stereotypes do ring true, and across some British Bengali community bubbles, I have come across a small number of people who like to pass comments which are nothing but demotivating and hurtful.

'eye of the tiger...'

It wasn't all plain sailing for me. Back at college, before university, when I told my college tutor and long-distance relatives that I wanted to study Software Engineering at university, they tried to convince me to apply for another subject. This was based on the fact that I’d got a C in GCSE maths and so they felt I wouldn’t be very successful with my course choice. But this didn't deter me from pursuing my passion, this only motivated me more and I properly recommend that, if you're not already doing so - try and utilise critical and negative feedback to motivate you further, keep your eye on the prize, and keep focussed on the task at hand. Only to prove to yourself that you have the strength and capability to persever when others thought you couldn't!

So, despite doubts from certain individuals, I did get to study my undergraduate degree at my first-choice university and thankfully the lecturers I met during that time were nothing but supportive.

'I'm a suvivor...'

I just want to make it clear that I wasn’t your stereotypical computer fanatic in school. IT was the only subject I actually enjoyed and when I was studying my A-levels, it was the only grade I was particularly invested in getting a good mark in. And across my four years at uni, I got to study a wide range of modules and discovered an interest in learning how the government uses software to protect the general public, which was pretty cool.

However, when it came to the time of graduation, I felt like my job prospects were very limited. So, I 'rolled up my sleeves' again, and I decided to do a postgrad in Forensic Computing and Software Engineering, becasue (1) how cool does foresenics sound, and (2) I thought it may give me a competitive edge – as cliché as it sounds.

As no two career paths are the same (rarely anyway), I can only speak from my own choices and my own experiences. I can honeslty say that my decision to do my masters, for me, was a good one. It's also a good feeling when someone else backs your choice, like the managing director of the company that employed me for my first job after university, who said that he specifically looked for applicants that had completed a masters, as he felt it demonstrated commitment and a genuine interest for the subject. On this occasion, having a masters definately opened the door that felt so firmly shut on me. But ever since, I’ve not actually been asked about my academic credentials. So, if you’re wondering whether studying a masters is necessary, my honest answer is that I think it depends on you as a person, your experiences and passions, and what your final ambition is. But when you're first entering the industry, I think it can be helpful.

'Grow, grow...'

All IT-based roles require their teams to stay up to date with new regulations and programme updates. So, if this is a sector you're considering, ensure you have the passion for it and be willing to stay on your toes and keep looking for ways to upskill – whether that’s through further education or using resources like YouTube, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, etc.

One of the reasons why I love working in this industry is because of the constant space it provides for learning. There is always something new to discover and I’ve been fortunate with both my roles since graduating, as they have always allocated time for independent training. This for me is a massive benefit and an incredibly important one to embed in a company’s culture. For example, currently, I’m learning a new coding language called R, which I have the flexibility to study during working hours at my own pace.

'don't over complicate...'

I worked hard to get to the position I’m currently in but there is definitely one piece of advice that I could have benefitted from knowing to help me with my career and that is; being able to properly articulate my interests, experiences, and passions in layman's terms.

I’m sure I don’t need to explain the intricate details of how technical IT can be, but what I do need to explain is how important it is to be able to articulate what you are able to do and why you enjoy doing it - it's trickier than you think.

In an interview, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of responding with fancy acronyms to show you know your SaaS from your PaaS, which you think make you sound knowledgeable but, without context, actually come across as just buzzwords. Be human. Just because you work with computers doesn’t mean you have to sound like one. Rememeebr, the ultimate test isn't the numbr of acronyms you can utilse to describe a concept. The ultimate test is being able to describe a technical concept to a six year old and you are able to engage them and enable their understanding - that is when you can demonstrate that you have true passion for Tech.

'if at first you don't sucCeed...'

Another vital advice; the word FAIL in many of our British Bengali community bubbles is made out to be a very big taboo. Through interactions with the community and overhearing certain things, i've grown up to beleive that failure is NOT an option. So much so that when I had to retake my second year of university, as I did not get the pass grades to go through to the third year, I was extremely stressed about telling my parents about this. I thought they would see me as a failure. However, my dad gave me the best advice i've every had. He said: “A lot of people fail, that does not make them a failure. You only fail when you give up without trying. Learn from your mistakes, if you still can’t pass at least you gave it a go and that is not a fail”.

Now, that may not have been the grand piece of intel you were hoping for but if you are looking to work in this industry, try and answer this in front of a mirror: "can I teach a six year old what the difference between SaaS and PaaS is without pointing to an actual cloud...?"

I promise, you’ll thank me in the future, once you're able to do so.