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Feminism: chat

Feminism: sex and gender

Original poster

Women returners in tech

201 replies

MotherOffCod · 21/06/2021 15:23

Is anyone else noticing a trend for women returning to work after child-rearing years getting into deep geek tech?

I’m my area of the UK it’s a big thing, and seems to be escalating.

Bloody brilliant area to get skilled up in once your kids are older and you’re ready to dig in again.

Anyone else in this sphere? My feeling is that it’s a major opportunity for smart women who’ve been out or the workplace for a while, but have time and opportunity to re-train in exciting new fields with high demand and low supply.

OP posts:
Whoarethewho · 22/06/2021 08:35

Yes definitely join us in software engineering as a developer there are lots of women who are respected for being great in their area of expertise. It is well paid flexible so children can be picked up from school. And generally great fun.

Boopear · 22/06/2021 08:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

MedusasBadHairDay · 22/06/2021 09:14

@Boopear

(I'm not a MotherOffCod sock puppet, honest Grin..)

This is a good link as well for anyone interested in Salesforce training. supermums.org/ - I've talked to these guys at conferences and it seems to be a pretty decent setup, although, as always, do your research!

That's good to hear, it looks like I'm going to be starting one of their training courses via my work later this year.
Original poster
MotherOffCod · 22/06/2021 11:19

Boop the super mums looks awesome! One day I want to run a programme like that for my own specialism. I’m doing it on small ad hoc scale already, but ultimately would love to scale that up. Other fish to fry for now, but one day….

OP posts:
jeaux90 · 22/06/2021 11:45

I work for a global tech company. Been in the industry for 25 years.

It is a great industry and I don't have a regret at all as it's well paid and flexible but yes male dominated still.

My one observation is that during the 90's and early 2000's there was a lot of sexism but over the last 5 years there has been a shift right to the polar end of being very woke. (I've mainly worked for the silicon valley's companies)

I have a technical position but worth remembering just like any other company they have all the normal functions so you don't have to be technical to work in the tech industry.

BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 22/06/2021 11:58

I'm dual skilling in a tech field right now and having a whale of a time. I never took time out but the commercial and softer skills I have from my existing career are what add the real value to the technical skills I am acquiring.

I'm on an apprenticeship and my cohort is majority female and I'm far from the oldest.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 22/06/2021 13:02

What a great thread MotherOffCod and a real antidote to some of the images of tech depts in large companies that I've worked in.

Original poster
MotherOffCod · 22/06/2021 15:04

I am loving hearing form the other techy women here - hooray!

I’m also having the time of my life. It feels outrageously satisfying to be at the top of a new game at my grand age.

Very unexpected and very very welcome.

There was a sort of coming back to life and rediscovery in finding I could be relevant, skilled and valued in a new field, after being essentially mothballed intellectually for over a decade.

OP posts:
MedusasBadHairDay · 22/06/2021 15:26

@MotherOffCod

I am loving hearing form the other techy women here - hooray!

I’m also having the time of my life. It feels outrageously satisfying to be at the top of a new game at my grand age.

Very unexpected and very very welcome.

There was a sort of coming back to life and rediscovery in finding I could be relevant, skilled and valued in a new field, after being essentially mothballed intellectually for over a decade.

I recognise that feeling. For me I came back to work after kids and disability, but into customer services which I didn't enjoy at all.

Luckily though my company decided to start using Salesforce and were willing to train staff up, so my lack of experience and qualifications didn't stand in my way. It's the best thing I ever did, I love my job now. Once I've got my admin certification done and a bit of experience under my belt I plan to start studying to do development too. It's an exciting time.

Original poster
MotherOffCod · 22/06/2021 17:49

Me too Medusa!

Big struggle with disability, repaired by NHS, and had the good luck to be scooped up by someone willing to pay me to learn how to work the tech when they couldn’t find anyone.

Being willing to learn, explore and figure it out is the only starting qualification needed for this area right now. Finding someone who will pay you to learn helps a lot, but the learning is so fast if you get stuck in, it’s not a long journey to higher pay and being in demand.

OP posts:
doadeer · 22/06/2021 17:58

I work in tech. It's not super male dominated. In house roles aren't very friendly to mums as not many options for part time but it's often flexible in terms of working hours.

I freelance now around my son and there are lots of mums but it can be hard to enter a new vertical without any experience... My sector wouldn't hire a freelancer without direct experience and that can be a challenge when starting out.

But I'm thrilled to see more women in this industry. I think it's a really exciting space

DisillusionedTech · 22/06/2021 21:50

Lovely that there’s so many new posters enjoying getting into the tech industry later in life. You’ve obviously not working in the area I work in yet where you’ll find it less fun and very very lonely (30+ Years). I’ve been stalked, harassed, lots of sexually harassment (through which I’m expected to smile or be derided as a prude), had death threats and threats to destroy my professional reputation all for just doing my job. I don’t have daughters but if I did I would say to them do anything but tech. If you’re not experiencing any of this you’re not being seen as a threat by the men.

Obviously NAMALT before anyone objects to what I’ve said but too many are.

doadeer · 22/06/2021 21:53

Crikey! What area are you in?

CuteOrangeElephant · 22/06/2021 22:01

@DisillusionedTech it's a shame that you have had this experience. It's something that I hear way too often Sad

To provide some balance to the other posters; I have 10 years of experience in tech working in a lot of different companies (former consultant), and I have encountered one deeply unpleasant working environment, which happened to be a government department. Other than that it's been a very fulfilling, well paying career so far and I would recommend my DD to follow my footsteps if she wants! Tech is incredibly broad. I currently work for a big, corporate retailer.

DisillusionedTech · 22/06/2021 22:02

@doadeer

Crikey! What area are you in?
Sorry not saying as I’m scared of being identified, there’s not many women.
Howzaboutye · 22/06/2021 22:08

That's awful! But perhaps does reflect the company rather than the entire industry. The company I'm at is not like that.

DisillusionedTech · 22/06/2021 22:22

@Howzaboutye

That's awful! But perhaps does reflect the company rather than the entire industry. The company I'm at is not like that.
Not just one company, its several
BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 22/06/2021 22:22

Tech spans very, very many specialties and fields now though, and talent gaps in many of them will draw more women in. My female-dominated company is effectively becoming a tech company. I can well believe there remain many bastions of horrible sexism, but I do think that as more and more fields become essentially tech or at least tech-adjacent we will see change.

Original poster
MotherOffCod · 22/06/2021 22:24

That’s awful Disillusioned. What a tragedy, that this goes on, still, in such a scale.

The freelancer environment does have the benefit of being at lefty to walk away from bad situations to a degree, but it’s not immune to this sort of thing either.

I have several peers who have been trashed professionally by male colleagues or competitors. Some females too, but mostly men.

There are also some nasty pockets of dick-swinging misogyny in the networking and communities.

But mostly as a freelancer or self employed there’s room to vote with your feet at least.

Perhaps the answer is partly in the women-led spaces, where that sort of crap never gets a chance to take hold, and is no longer normalised.

OP posts:
Blibbyblobby · 22/06/2021 22:43

I'm in Tech and very much feel I got pushed in a non-technical direction because I'm female.

I earn a good salary doing the soft skills stuff but I'd much rather be coding.

I've been lucky that enough people who've noticed that whatever it is that I do seems to make projects I run deliver so I have profile and credibility, but the devs I work with take me for granted as their support human. They don't associate their own success with me avoiding potholes and smoothing the path for them.

Blibbyblobby · 22/06/2021 22:45

I've posted this before, but it resonated with me and quite a few other women in Tech I've spoken to

noidea.dog/glue

Blueflamingo5 · 22/06/2021 22:54

I was working as a business analyst in the drinks sector, I managed to get a role as a project coordinator in the tech industry. 2.5 years (and 2 promotions) later my pay has nearly doubled. I targeted companies with initiatives to get women into tech. I wish I had done this years ago!

Howzaboutye · 23/06/2021 07:01

Blibby that's interesting, but surely that's the project manager role? I don't see how any project could be delivered in time without that role being done.

Original poster
MotherOffCod · 23/06/2021 07:34

Go Blueflamingo!

I think I need to go do more research on projects getting women into tech, and see where I can contribute.

Would love to start by just telling the story for me so far more widely.

In fact, I should just write a blog on it, as a starting point.

Feeling inspired by this thread…

OP posts:
Namenic · 23/06/2021 07:35

I think it’s women in engineering day!