In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, women are increasingly making their marks, challenging stereotypes, and breaking barriers in the industry. Despite their notable contributions and achievements, women in software engineering still encounter unique hurdles on their journeys toward establishing successful careers. In Code Platoon’s Tech Transitions vodcast, three experts shed light on the transition to tech for women, sharing their insights and advice as women in tech.
“I'm a Marine Corps Veteran who went through a coding bootcamp. I advanced my career from there over the last eight years,” Nicole Carpenter, Principal Software Developer at 8th Light, says.
“I have a degree in computer science, but I started doing standard business consulting. I went back to technology because I love helping engineers advance their careers and building great products along the way,” Jordi Buller, a Fractional CTO and freelance advisor for tech companies, says.
“I was a high school English teacher before I transitioned to recruiting for tech professionals,” Bailey Budka, a Branch Director of Recruiting at Robert Half, says.
An essential skill for women transitioning to tech is self-advocacy. Although advocating for one’s needs can be difficult, asserting one's worth and communicating one’s value are paramount skills for women in the tech workforce.
“I would rather be called aggressive than be walked over,” Nicole says. “I benefited from getting hired by a company with mentorship programs, but not everyone will have that opportunity. My advice for women in tech is to find a mentor at their company or by going to local tech events.”
“It's important to find allies,” Jordi says. "A reality of being a woman in tech is sometimes we need men or people who are more senior than us to be our allies in this space.”
The interviewing process is another area where greater self-advocacy benefits women in tech. Bailey has fourteen years of experience helping women and career transitioners prepare to negotiate salary and benefits in their job interviews:
“If an employer asks for a salary range, I always suggest giving the high end of what the interviewee thinks they might get,” she says. “I also tell transitioning tech employees to consider requesting a sign-on bonus. Sometimes hiring managers may be able to adjust other benefits if they can't raise the salary.”
Navigating workplace dynamics as a woman in tech may require a keen eye for discerning supportive cultures and potential red flags. Women can better navigate their tech career paths with clarity and confidence by identifying supportive workplace cultures and weighing any “red flags” against the “green” ones.
“Company values can be important to consider when joining a new company, but it can be hard to tell if a company lives by its values,” Jordi says. “If they're not acted on, company values are just buzzwords.”
In the fast-paced tech industry, continuous learning is a cornerstone for success. By cultivating opportunities to develop new skills on the job, women can stay ahead of the curve in their tech careers.
“Transitioning software engineers should ask their future employers how much the company is investing back into its employees,” Nicole says. “Does the company encourage mentorship or have a plan for supporting early-career developers? Is it giving employees time to focus on developing and learning new skills? A workplace that wants its employees to grow their skills and invest in themselves is a huge green flag."
“I love being a woman in tech. There are days when it's hard, but tech is an industry where I have an impact, whether it's the products I'm building or the teams I'm growing,” Jordi says. “Sometimes women in tech have to be loud. Sometimes, we need to search for opportunities, but the opportunities are there. As we move through our careers, the chances for more women in tech to have these opportunities will continue to get better and better.”
