As a female tech graduate, stepping into the professional world—especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry—can feel intimidating. However, it can also be an exciting experience. Tech is ever-changing, and you will continually learn and grow throughout your career. With the right preparation, you can navigate this transition smoothly and unlock countless opportunities. To support you on this journey, we’ve compiled some tips to help you thrive and reach your full potential.
1. Build your confidence and skills
Earning your degree is a fantastic achievement, but demonstrating curiosity and a willingness to continue learning can make you stand out to potential employers. This will be especially beneficial if you know what you might want to specialise in, for example, artificial intelligence as it will show your dedication to the topic. Doing this will also build your confidence and strengthen your understanding in preparation for interviews and carrying out your job role. You can find free IT and tech courses online, such as on Coursera.
In addition to taking courses, internships and mentorships are a great way to gain extra experience and ask valuable advice. Internships are when companies bring in recent graduates, or those in their final year, for work experience. These can be full or part-time, paid or unpaid. They enable you to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained through your degree into practice. In some cases, this can lead to full-time employment, so make sure you make a good impression!
On the other hand, mentorships build a relationship between someone experienced in the industry and someone less experienced. This relationship can be useful for graduates or those starting in a new field as they give the mentee a chance to ask questions. If you have a female mentor, they might also be able to offer advice on how to navigate working in a male-dominated industry and the challenges of being a woman in tech. Having someone to refer to also will limit mistakes you make, but don’t be disheartened if you make some, we all do. Instead, learn from them.
2. Research the tech industry
It is a good idea to stay up to date with current trends and changes in the tech world before and throughout your career. This is particularly important at the start, as things can change quickly after you graduate, and you don’t want to end up out of the loop. Women in Tech regularly add articles that can help to keep you informed.
Following and connecting with tech companies or individuals on LinkedIn will also enable you to keep in the loop with the latest trends, changes in tech and opinions on these changes. Doing this helps you understand the industry more, builds your confidence and might even help you with talking points in an interview.
3. Networking
Networking will help you to build valuable connections with people already in the professional tech world, which can be beneficial in many ways. For example, a connection you build might be the person who gives you your first role in the industry. You can also pick their brain for advice, current trends or information about different specialities.
How to network as a female tech graduate
A good place to start is your university alumni network. To find this, look at the university website and see if they have an alumni page, resources or any upcoming networking events.
LinkedIn is another great platform to utilise. You can reach out to your university alumni here too or make broader connections in your industry. Send a connection request explaining that you’re a recent tech graduate looking to learn from their experiences.
To get the most out of LinkedIn, you can use it to build your personal brand. This is when you create a public perception of yourself, showing your unique personality, skills and experiences. You should spend time creating thought-leadership posts on subject areas within your speciality, offering your perspective and inviting your network to comment too. This is a great way to gain attention and engagement from like-minded people and companies, leading to potential job opportunities.
4. How to job search
When it comes to applying for jobs, it is important to understand what employers are looking for and how to demonstrate your skills effectively. Have a close look at each job description and tailor your CV and cover letter to show how you meet each of the requirements. Whilst it’s important to include the technical skills you’ve studied at university, also include your soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and adaptability, as these are highly valued in tech.
When you are looking for companies to apply to, check that they have a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion. They are more likely to encourage women’s career progression and to have built an inclusive workplace with people from all backgrounds. Also, have a look at their policies and benefits which you should be able to find on their website. Good benefits to look out for are health insurance, maternity or parental leave, menstrual leave, menopause support, flexible working and pregnancy loss and support policies.
You can find some female tech graduate jobs here and some companies that are dedicated to improving gender diversity here.
5. How to prepare for an interview
So, you’ve got to the interview stage, but how can you prepare to land the job? Despite a push for gender diversity in tech over recent years, interviews for these roles can still contain gender bias, whether it is conscious or unconscious. As a female graduate, it is important to remember you have put in the hard work to get to this point, and you deserve to be in your desired tech role.
Firstly, review the job description, your CV and the company so you have all this information fresh in your mind. Practice some frequently asked questions both industry-related and broader common questions, such as:
– Tell me about yourself
– What are your strengths and weaknesses?
– What are your career goals?
– Why do you want to work here?
– What is one of your biggest achievements?
You can also try to bring the information you have learnt through networking and continued learning into the interview to show your dedication and knowledge.
At least a day or two before the interview pick out what you are going to wear to make sure you have something appropriate and that it is ironed and ready to wear. Also, look at the best route for getting to the interview (if it is in person) and do a practice run around the time you are planning on leaving to get there so you know that you will arrive with time to spare. Try to arrive around 10-15 minutes early. Getting lost or being late can increase your anxiety and make you flustered during the interview.
6. Maintaining a good work-life balance and well-being
Transitioning from a student to a professional can be overwhelming at times, so it is important to establish a good work-life balance and maintain your well-being from the start. Don’t be afraid to set work boundaries (within reason!). This might be making sure you don’t work outside of your work hours and take breaks during the work day. Going on a walk at lunch, for example, can help you reset for the rest of the day and improve your mental health.
If you’re working for a company that offers flexible working or wellbeing programmes, take advantage of these as they will help reduce the risk of burnout. Global studies have found that as many as two in five IT professionals are at high risk of burnout and as many as 42% of women were consistently burned out at work. This is compared to 35% of men. If you do get overwhelmed, speak to your employer as they may be able to offer some support. Methods, such as meditation and exercise can also help to reduce stress and anxiety.
Being a woman in tech can also mean you face more challenges. Including, gender bias, unequal career progression between genders, imposter syndrome and unequal representation in the company. To navigate through these challenges, continue to advocate for yourself and those in the same position as yourself. Through doing this you might find allies in your workplace that can offer support and advocate with you.
Many companies also have employee networks that you can join. These are voluntary groups of colleagues with similar backgrounds, beliefs or interests. They are useful because they create a safe and confidential environment for people to offer support or advice and they can be the start of change in a company.
If your company doesn’t have a women’s network, we have some tips on how you can start one here.
Entering the professional world as a female tech graduate can be a great experience and provide rewarding careers in technology. Whilst you might face challenges, it will also bring about many opportunities for career and personal growth. Just remember to look after your well-being, keep learning and enjoy the journey. You deserve it!
