“Stick to your guns”: Why the ‘M’ in STEM stands for Men- and how to change it!
Angie Garland, Escalations Engineer at Content Guru, discusses why women need to take advantage of opportunities, get their voices heard, and fight their corner to help close the gender gap in a male-dominated workplace.
There are more opportunities available than ever to start a career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), an industry which has suffered from a lack of diversity and representation in the workforce. While the vast majority of people in the industry are supportive, women are still massively underrepresented in the STEM workforce and only make up 26% of the employees on average. Sadly, computer science is a sector with one of the largest gender imbalances, largely driven by gender stereotypes. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Tipping the gender imbalance will help to diversify the workplace and tackle unconscious biases that have created a generational preference for a male-dominated science and technology industry.
Don’t close the door before it even opens: follow opportunities
How we live as humans in a decade’s time is going to be very different to how we live now. Some technologies that we will depend on don’t even exist yet, and I consider myself fortunate to work in an industry that rewards innovation and is driving these changes. Technology is one of the fastest-growing industries, and with growth comes opportunity. Roles for women in technology are growing 238% faster than roles for men, and taking advantage of these new jobs in an up-and-coming industry is a smart career move. If you are new to technology or transferring from a different sector there are opportunities for everyone.
Jobs you may never have thought to apply for, or might not be familiar with, could be a perfect fit for you with the right training. If you are interested in a role in computer science but aren’t sure where to begin, there are free courses available to women who want to learn how to code from scratch or upskill their existing coding ability. You don’t have to have a background in coding either; lots of women are upskilling from jobs in other sectors to join the technology movement. I am predominantly a problem solver in my role as an escalations engineer, so I am responsible for troubleshooting software to identify problems and create solutions. I really enjoy the fast-paced nature of my role, and my engineering background has provided strong problem-solving skills which require lateral thinking. Similarly, if you enjoy the challenges and problem-solving of computer science but find coding tricky, there are lots of roles in technology that don’t involve programming. Don’t be held back from beginning an exciting role in the technology industry such as project management, customer success management, or UX designing and testing. These jobs require transferrable skills that you probably already have, such as communication, teamwork and an eye for detail.
While searching for jobs in the technology industry, you may come across some job listings with job requirements that make you feel underqualified. Don’t let that feeling hold you back. While there are structures and regulations in place to help inclusivity and prevent gender discrimination, unconscious bias can seep into job listings and make it harder for women to picture themselves in certain roles. Masculine-coded words, such as ‘determined’ and ‘dominant’, scattered throughout job requirements can unconsciously make women seem unfit for roles they would be perfectly suited for. I recommend using tools such as gender bias screeners when completing job searches to help you understand the nuances in the language some businesses use when advertising roles to women.
Your opinion matters; get your voice heard
I am a huge believer in company culture. Seeing how colleagues interact with each other is a good barometer for lots of other aspects of working life, including how you are going to be treated as a woman in a predominantly male industry. If you are already in a STEM role, then you might have noticed how tricky it can be for your voice to be heard in some situations, especially in meetings with a lot of dominating male personalities. When I first started my engineering degree at university, I remember attending group meetings and having to fight my corner for my male cohort to listen to my points.
“Stick to your guns, because your opinions and ideas are just as important as your male counterparts, and they deserve to be heard”
This isn’t a new phenomenon: almost a decade ago research showed that women were consistently likely to underestimate their own performance, despite performing equally as competently as men. Now dubbed ‘imposter syndrome’, these feelings of inadequacy can deter women from holding opinions and having confidence in the workplace. Take the opportunity to build confidence in yourself by realising that your opinions and ideas are of value. When brainstorming solutions, I have the ability to approach issues from a different perspective than my male colleagues, which can help in times of emergency. The tech industry desperately needs more women to improve diversity in the workforce and to work towards a better diversity of ideas – which can help achieve better, more efficient solutions.
If you are part of a team that doesn’t regularly hear everyone’s contributions, ask people who contribute less to discuss their opinion and bring their voices to the forefront of the conversation. Often the best ideas are the ones no one has considered yet. Strategically negotiating team imbalances is important, as you don’t want to make the situation hostile, which could negatively impact team communication. It’s all about consistency when it comes to building a strong team that works well together.
A solution to helping more female employees find their voice at a new workplace could be setting up a mentoring group for women who have been in the business longer to help impart some much-needed advice. Role models who understand the challenges you are facing will help support you in getting your voice heard and building confidence. Mentors could also choose mentees from different areas of the businesses, which would help to upskill existing employees.
If you are a graduate looking for a coding role, Content Guru is currently hiring for a range of positions, including software developers. I can always recommend working for a business that supports and values its engineering team, and our CEO Sean Taylor comes from a strong engineering background. Knowing that support from senior leadership is there really helps when trying to work to a tough deadline or problem-solve complex enquiries in a fast-paced environment. I love my job and I would encourage women to find a role in the technology industry that they love too!
Guest post written for Women in Tech by Angie Garland, Escalations Engineer at Content Guru.
