This is the third article in our Women in Tech series, featuring stories from women at Proact about their experiences in the IT industry. Check out our first and second articles as well.
Were you exposed to technical topics during your schooling?
No. I actually never received any sort of technical training – or really was even exposed to IT – during my education.
How and when did your interest in IT develop? And when did you decide that this may be a good career path for you to follow?
Actually, I began my career path by training as a beautician. However, I found myself being drawn more and more to the field of IT. My first job in the industry was as an internal account manager for an international IT company. After years of selling IT products and services as an account manager, I transitioned into project management and being a Scrum Master. After being responsible for different projects, my interest was more drawn to adoption consultancy, because I love to help organisations with the changes they are facing.
What is your role at Proact? How long have you been in this role? And what are your most important tasks?
My job at Proact is “Adoption Consultant and Scrum Master”, which I’ve been doing for three years now. As an adoption consultant, my most important tasks are uniting the technical and functional elements within in a company. This entails a focus on process optimalisation and making sure that users understand the change process by providing them with the necessary training and skills. I accomplish this by using methodologies like the Prosci model and agile change management approach.
The other part of my job is being a Scrum Master, where my important tasks are making sure the Scrum guidelines are being used in Scrum projects.
What is your favourite part of working at Proact?
For me, the best part is helping clients with their challenges and supporting them in gaining the most benefit from any change they choose to undertake.
What do you think lies behind the fact that men outnumber women in the IT industry?
I’m really not sure about the historical reasons, to be honest. However, I don’t think it’s productive to look into the past, as I’ve seen a rapid change in the past couple of years. It seems that increased diversity leads to even more women joining the field, so I think if we keep up this pace, there won’t be such a discrepancy in the future.
What advice would you give to women interested in pursuing careers in technology?
My advice is to broaden your vision in terms of what is possible within the field of IT – so maybe think outside of the classic programmer or developer job – and just accept the challenge.
In your opinion, is there anything everyone could do to promote gender diversity in the IT workplace?
Do not focus on gender but on the competences of the person. Women need to broaden their horizons and see that IT is a good career path due to the number of jobs available, the many paths you can take in the industry and the competitive salaries it offers. This means going out and educating yourself about what opportunities are out there, and not waiting for them to come to you.
Would you like to learn more about where the IT industry is heading when it comes to gender diversity? Check out our podcast on the topic, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
