In recent years, there has been an increase in public discussions about people’s motivation at work. As a result, we saw a lot of articles popping up to highlight the experiences of different professionals in hopes of promoting specific jobs and industries. However, we found that when it comes to the IT field, most of those articles were written by men for men. So, as a digital transformation & consulting company, we decided that in honour of international women’s day, we will highlight the pros IT ladies find in the tech industry by sharing what aspects of it ‘spark joy’ in their lives.
To achieve this, we surveyed the people we believe to be the most qualified to answer this question, our IT ladies in TeleSoftas, who entered a field dominated by men and are building a name for themselves.
Where do women find the motivation to become developers?
While money might be a goal to work towards, and the growing IT field is full of financial opportunities, It cannot produce enough motivation to get someone through the hard work needed to enter the IT field. And it is a short-term source of happiness. Which raises the question – what is a long-term source of joy in IT?
Well, they say you should do what you’re good at, which is true to some degree. Our TeleSoftas ladies did mention that at the beginning, they considered IT simply because they excelled in mathematics or sciences in school. However, from their answers, it quickly became apparent that being good at something does not provide a sufficient hold on people to become a drive towards becoming an IT professional. What is then?
The answer to this question seems to be unanimous and relatively simple. It’s all about learning! Whether learning for personal growth, honing skills, or simply for curiosity’s sake, the IT world is full of new things to discover. It is full of accessible resources and fellow IT professionals willing to explain or share their knowledge. And so, it is clear that the IT realm is full of personal growth opportunities and a supportive community. With a lot of room to grow as an IT professional and a sense of community, who could resist the journey?
What does it takes to love what you do in IT?
Becoming a well-paid IT professional is step one in the journey. It’s something to be proud of, But it doesn’t guarantee a love for your job. It’s the personal mindset that brings joy! When we asked our colleagues if they found their work exciting, they had much to say. Mentioning the glorious feeling that often comes from working on projects that matters, it’s like collecting karma points. Having the opportunity to participate in building products that bring change to society is incredibly rewarding.
The IT field is also much more social than we give it credit. It unites people, not only through the sense of community shared with fellow IT professionals but also with clients and product users worldwide. The flexibility of working from anywhere also means that you can work with anyone, creating a diverse community of people involved in the project or enjoying its service.
Speaking of community, the team at work can make a difference regarding the happiness and comfort level at work. And with women being a minority in the industry, it is natural for them to worry about the team interactions they will experience once they join a new one. They fear not being taken seriously or having their work criticised because of their gender. While those are justified concerns, especially with the many available stories in which women developers were treated poorly by their teams, it is not always the case. Most IT specialists are known to be highly professional and supportive of each other regardless of gender, age, nationality, or experience level. They understand that each team member is valuable and can do great things together. And our IT ladies agree with it.
What does it take for women to become developers?
With their experiences under their belt, the TeleSoftas ladies provide some advice for the future of IT. The first piece of advice is to be curious. They encourage everyone to keep their eyes open for new developments in the field and seek out tutorials and reading materials. To engage with others in the area and, most importantly, practice everything.
The subsequent recommendations are to be confident and patient. Those come hand in hand, as this field of work, is about developing your skills and trusting your abilities because you worked hard to hone them. You should be proud of your work and not be afraid to stand up for it to be successful! But, at the same time, you must recognise when you confuse confidence with pride and remember that learning is the core element of this field. And so, techies should take any opportunity to grow as a professional with excitement.
Lastly, It is also important to remember that technology is ubiquitous, which means that new solutions and best practices are constantly being developed. As a professional in the field, you must be able and willing to adapt to changes as they come.