How to Build a Career in Big Data and Software Engineering as a Woman

Times may be changing, but there’s still a serious gender imbalance in the tech sector. Women make up an estimated 26% of the global workforce in core tech roles, and even highly qualified women often encounter glass ceilings and other roadblocks that prevent them from reaching their full potential.

These issues are particularly prevalent in fields like big data and software engineering, but there are ways to overcome them. This was the topic of discussion in an episode of the OPIT EDGE podcast, featuring two female professionals sharing their insights and experiences.

Quick Summary

• An OPIT EDGE podcast episode looked at the challenges women face in tech careers.
• Two experts shared their experiences of gender bias in male-oriented workplaces.
• They explained that they had been pigeonholed and underestimated in the past.
• Both experts advise fellow women to work on soft skills, such as patience and curiosity.
• They also encourage women to embrace emerging technologies, like AI.
• OPIT’s programs (such as the Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and the Master’s Degree in Responsible Artificial Intelligence) are designed for students who want to gain the knwoledge and practical skills to succeed in these fields.

OPIT EDGE: How to BUILD A CAREER in Big Data & Software Engineering

OPIT EDGE is a student-driven podcast project at the Open Institute of Technology. It involves professionals from various tech sectors sitting down with the podcast’s host, Levi Mandji, to share insights and expert advice based on their careers and experiences.

An episode of the podcast entitled “How to BUILD A CAREER in Big Data & Software Engineering” focused specifically on women in tech. It featured two female professionals: Irene De Nevi, who works as a big data engineer at Capgemini, and Asya Mantovani, a custom software engineer at Accenture.

The two guests shared some information about their backgrounds, some of the challenges they’ve faced in the working world as women in male-dominated sectors, and some tips and advice for other women seeking to follow similar career paths.

The Challenges Women Face

De Nevi and Mantovani both revealed that they had faced prejudice, bias, and difficult situations related to their gender during their relatively brief careers in the tech sector so far. De Nevi, for example, recalled during the podcast that she was working on a project and was asked for “aesthetic feedback” about a user interface because she was “the only girl on the team.”

Mantovani also shared a similar story about being moved from backend development to frontend work, despite being more comfortable with backend work. When asked for an explanation, she was told that it was because women are better at choosing things like colors and templates for software compared to men.

These examples illustrate some of the ways in which gender bias can affect modern workplaces; the project managers in both of these stories were pre-emptively judging both women based on preconceived notions about their gender, rather than making decisions based on their skills, experiences, and the value they brought to their projects.

The Bigger Picture

The aforementioned examples are just a small part of a much bigger issue. Research shows that women remain underrepresented in tech leadership and are more likely than men to report experiencing gender-related barriers at work.

These are among the factors associated with women leaving tech roles; research has found that women leave tech at higher rates than men, with some studies specifically examining departures by age 35, with workplace culture, career progression, and other conditions contributing to retention challenges. In tech education, too, the gender imbalance continues, with far more men holding degrees in fields like physics, computer science, and engineering compared to women.

Overcoming Obstacles

Both Mantovani and De Nevi acknowledge that more must be done to address gender bias and imbalances in the tech sector; they don’t feel it can be solved simply by achieving an even 50/50 split of men and women. Instead, they argue that a deeper cultural shift will be necessary to address some of the biased behaviors that are so ingrained in the industry at the moment.

At the same time, they don’t want young women to feel that the tech world isn’t the place for them. While they note that the industry has its challenges, including demanding work and difficult workplace dynamics, they feel that there are always ways for workers of any gender to overcome obstacles and achieve their career goals, such as:

• Setting clear professional boundaries.
• Working on soft skills, such as patience, curiosity, and communication.
• Developing stronger critical-thinking skills.
• Adopting a “continuous learning” mindset to seek new knowledge and skills over time.

Looking Forward

Looking ahead to the future, both experts highlight the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI), comparing the rise of AI to the advent of the internet. They believe that this technology will create new opportunities for future tech workers and leaders, making this one of the most exciting times to pursue a tech career.

In order to succeed in that career, the guests advise students and aspiring professionals to find their own pace that allows them to comfortably work and study in line with such rapidly evolving technologies.

Key Takeaways

• Women face numerous gender-related challenges in the tech sector, including workplace bias and lower representation in managerial and leadership roles.
• Businesses must do more to address these imbalances, and it isn’t as simple as setting a “gender quota” – real change needs to be made to workplace culture.
• Women can still succeed in tech, and having a strong set of soft skills, such as critical thinking, patience, and a curious mind, can all help.

Take the Next Step in Your Tech Career With OPIT

No matter your gender or identity, if you’re passionate about tech and eager to work in sectors like data science, AI, and software engineering, OPIT offers programs designed for students interested in these fields. Choose from a rich range of courses, from the Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science to the Master’s Degree in Responsible Artificial Intelligence, and gain the knowledge and practical skills you need to succeed.