Attendees of womenintechnology.co.uk’s recent event, “How to get ahead in IT”, gave a variety of reasons for this lack of confidence, however motherhood was an issue that many women thought could damage their success in the years to come. One respondent commented “Sometimes [I am confident] but I doubt my own abilities and believe that employers won’t want to employ a mum of two”. Another said “I am taking time off to have a baby and not sure how this will affect me getting contracts in the future”. Others had difficulties in knowing how to progress in their careers - as one woman put it, “I’m not sure what the next step is and whether I can move into middle management.”
The research also showed that 65% did not have a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve in their IT career with some respondents choosing to be open to new prospects and others lacking the knowledge in how to progress.
“I know where I would like to be but I’m not sure how to get there” commented one woman, while another said “I am flexible depending on the opportunities that come up!”
“The majority of the women believed they were the driver of their own success with many updating their CV regularly on LinkedIn and speaking with management so that others are aware of their achievements. However many cited difficulties in marketing themselves in this way” says Maggie Berry, Director of womenintechnology.co.uk. “This event aimed to give women some useful advice on successful career strategies. Hopefully those that attended are now more confident in their ability to progress their careers in the IT industry.”