RAD Women in Tech

As we celebrated International Women’s Day yesterday, we wanted to take the time and recognise what it’s like to be a woman working in Tech and asked our colleagues to share more about their experience. 

Keep reading if you want to find out more about how to get into tech, what are some habits that help drive a successful career, and what resources you can use to gain better insights when navigating tech. 

Lilly, 

Head of Talent  

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

You should always know the value that you bring to every room and your voice needs to be heard especially when you're bringing a different perspective, advocating for others, or what you believe in.

• How do you stay connected to your values, maintain integrity and sense of purpose in your work?

I believe in showing up as authentically as possible in every interaction and setting good boundaries. I try to stay humble; put myself in the shoes of others to try and understand their motivations, why they react in certain ways, and how they communicate. I believe in having a core purpose but staying nimble in how that's achieved.

• What's one book or resource that has had a significant impact on your life or career?

Anything Brene Brown but specifically her work on boundaries, effective communication, and daring leadership.

• What's one habit or routine that you attribute to your success?

If you have 10 mins left at the end of your day and can tick off 1-2 5 mins tasks from your list for tomorrow, set yourself up for success. But also try to be in rooms where you're the least smart person as often as possible.

• What’s one song/ band that always gets you fired up and motivated?

So many but Florence + the Machine - King

• What advice would you give to women who are just starting their careers - especially in tech?

Learn as much as you can, and ask all the questions you have to everyone and anyone. Find people who believe in you and are willing to invest time in your development (mentors, managers, friends). Create opportunities to talk to people who are further than you in their career and inspire you and be authentic in your interactions.

Sarah Aucott, 

Agile Delivery Specialist

• What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

I wish I could say that it was because of someone inspiring me or about increasing the female presence in this industry! But sadly not... for me it was more about being able to follow my natural skills, my eye for detail seemed to be something that was missing in the teams that I worked with when I started my career, and my ability to problem solve and desire to find a solution. I found development fascinating and loved the fact that my simple logic could have such a huge impact on customers and products.

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

Women do have voices and we are listened to. It can be daunting to be the only female in the room but remember you bring a completely different perspective, presence, and set of ideas and skills which are unique and adds more value than you or the others in the room know.

• How do you stay connected to your values, maintain integrity and sense of purpose in your work?

I spend quite a bit of time reflecting, I am not one to just act or react. I try to understand how I feel about a situation, especially if I have a strong reaction, why that is, and how best to put my perspective forwards. I am very aware of and have experienced firsthand the days before women were involved in tech so keep to the facts, make sure my message and purpose are clear, and always recommend what I want to change and why.

• What's one habit or routine that you attribute to your success?

Laughter and taking the mike out of myself. There is always a funny side to every situation, we all do and say silly things, and it's the best way to relax others and build relationships.

• What’s one song/ band that always gets you fired up and motivated?

“Believer” by Imagine Dragons or “Supremacy” by Muse. But never forget “Shake it off” by Tyler Swift - If I have a stressful day or a bad conversation.

• What advice would you give to women who are just starting their career - especially in tech?

Grab ANY opportunity to get hands-on experience, jump in and get your hands dirty. It's invaluable, we learn through trying and failing! Any failure is a chance to learn and failures can actually turn out to be successes - we just can't see that at the time. The worst thing you can do is stand still.

Lauren, Head of People

• What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

I didn't pursue tech....tech pursued me! I was approached for an in-house recruiter role for a startup 5 years ago and progressed quite quickly. I loved the fluidity of the approach to roles, being able to put my own stamp on processes without the typical bottleneck experiences I had.

• What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far, and how did you overcome it?

When I was first promoted to a Head of People role, at the time felt like a big jump and the company was at such a crucial point in its journey as the cofounders of the company had left the business and a new CEO was in place. Having the CEO believe in me and support me (also a fellow woman) made a huge difference in my confidence. I was given the space to learn, and make mistakes but also championed and supported with all my ideas.

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

Tackle that imposter syndrome! You ARE capable, you CAN do the job you've been hired for, and don't be afraid to stand your ground

• What’s one song/ band that always gets you fired up and motivated?

Beyonce!

Deborah, Product Consultant

• What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

Initially what made me pursue a career in tech was the financial stability and the field's continuous growth. However, when I had the chance to start working on Product it became quite clear that I could leverage my previous experience as an artist, teacher, and manager to stand out from the crowd. I didn't need to follow the usual path to become a developer. I could use my creativity and leadership skills to provide value wherever I worked.

• What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far, and how did you overcome it?

Definitely it hardest part was studying Software Engineering. I felt like an outsider and sometimes even an intruder, which was definitely the impostor syndrome kicking in. Programming looked like Chinese to me. Something that really helped me overcome that was participating in a mentorship program by Portuguese Women in Tech where I had the chance to connect with a massive community of women that worked in tech - but that weren't developers. It was a decisive moment for me and opened my mind to the endless opportunities I could pursue. And especially leveraging my existing skills and it finally felt possible.

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

Tech can be for everyone. If you feel there isn't a path for you - create one! Make connections, ask questions, and most of all, believe in yourself and everything you overcame so far.

• What's one habit or routine that you attribute to your success?

Book time for learning every workday. It can be as short as 15 min. You can use it to read articles, watch some online training, or have a chat with interesting people you've met through LinkedIn, Lunchclub, or other means. Also, it's helpful to set aside some time every day to identify what you need to do throughout the day and its priorities. I usually do it in the morning but there are some people that prefer to do it by the end of the previous day. Another important habit is taking breaks throughout the day. Especially on days full of meetings that require a lot of context-switching. Breaks help you absorb the info and prepare your brain for new info. Last but not least, talk to people and don't be afraid to ask questions.

• What’s one song/ band that always gets you fired up and motivated?

80s Rock Playlists - from The Police to Metallica!

• What advice would you give to women who are just starting their career - especially in tech?

Find allies. Look for women in tech communities that already have initiatives in place and/or reach out to women working in tech that might agree to mentor you. You are definitely not in this alone!

Fliss, Talent Partnerships & Office of the CEO

• What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

Tech is a forever-growing and developing industry that is at the forefront of all organisations. It touches a huge part of both our professional and personal lives. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of it while also taking part in making an impact in such a creative and dynamic industry.  

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

Networking - may it be with your internal team or externally, forming meaningful authentic connections with people will take you a long way.

• What advice would you give to women who are just starting their career - especially in tech?

There are so many different careers, roles, and progressions depending on the product, service, or type of company you're working for. Don't limit yourself, be curious, and stay open to opportunities until you find your passion within tech.

Aicha, Senior Marketing Associate

• What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

It’s funny because the first job I got in tech wasn’t as much about the industry, as it was about the company and its product. From there, the decision of staying in tech was more conscious as I saw firsthand the difference in pace, adaptability, and agility required and celebrated in a tech company rather than a non-tech one. Based on my style of working, I knew this would be the environment in which I’d thrive.

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

Knowing that there’s is no moment when you’ll be fully ready to take on a role and that growth comes when you’re challenged. 

• What's one book or resource that has had a significant impact on your life or career?

As someone who’s both quite creative and analytical, reading “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein was definitely an eye-opener. I’ve also discovered Brene Brown through an earlier mentor and that’s helped me immensely in adjusting the way I work and the way I perceive leadership. But probably the most significant impact came from being part of AIESEC, a global youth leadership organisation. It thought me everything from time and team management to public speaking and work ethics. 

• What’s one song/ band that always gets you fired up and motivated?

Honestly depends on the day. But currently “A Good Song Never Dies” by Saint Motel. I’ve got a full playlist called “Energy Pill” to pick me up when needed (might contain some songs from Camp Rock 2)

• What advice would you give to women who are just starting their career - especially in tech?

Make it a habit to stay in the know about what's happening in the industry. Tech moves fast and it's only going to speed up, so set aside a few minutes each morning to catch up on the latest trends. Some ways to do that can be by following industry leaders on LinkedIn or checking out sources like TechCrunch. And find a way to figure out what you bring to the table in terms of your skills, connections, and all-around capabilities. Knowing your strengths is an underestimated game-changer. 

Sarah Wildmann, Product Consultant

• What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

I craved a new way of thinking, doing things, and working on projects that changed people's lives beyond their purchasing habits and fixed real-world problems. First, I pivoted from strategic brand design to an insights and growth strategy agency. What appealed to me was how the agency was utilising Ai. to supercharge its processes. I ended up project-directing the delivery of one of its Ai. tools as it was being built, which not only expanded my understanding of how technology can be applied to solve user problems but also how digital products are built. I haven’t looked back since.

• What's one valuable lesson you've learned in your career that you would share with other women?

My mom used to always tell me and my sisters 'if you don't ask you don't get' which is what I used to live by until a colleague told me to: 'ask for forgiveness, not permission' (the quote originates from Grace Cooper, a pioneer in data science and one of the first great women leaders in tech). I have applied for it ever since and have not once been disappointed. What this means to me is, to give yourself the license to follow your gut instinct, to not overthink or second guess yourself, or burden yourself with what others might think. What I have found is that more often than not, people will be glad you took charge even if it's not perfect, someone else in the group was likely thinking it but was too afraid to say something, or you might find that your own thinking gets challenged so you’ll grow and, on some rare occasions, you might just have to say ‘sorry’. But, don’t pass up opportunities or make yourself small because you think it’ll be more comfortable for everyone else. Growth, innovation, and change isn’t a comfortable journey but that pales in comparison with the reward once you reach the destination

• What's one book or resource that has had a significant impact on your life or career?

“Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg. I read it in the early stages of my career, during a very challenging work situation and it helped me come out of this with a fighting spirit. It’s since helped me build the confidence to take bold decisions even in the most uncertain and vulnerable times.

• What advice would you give to women who are just starting their career - especially in tech?

Write down what behaviours, habits, or even phrases/words you've seen or heard people around you adopt that made you think - they did that well or that you admired. And train yourself to do the same. And generally, attend as many meetings as possible and take notes of everything, from what is being said to people's body language, make sure to capture the words people use to expand your vocabulary and confidence.

Hope you enjoyed reading about their stories and have gained some insight into what it’s like to be a RAD Woman in Tech.