What it’s Like to be a Woman in IT

This International Women’s Day, we’re thinking about what it means to be a woman in IT.

The technology industry is a traditionally male dominated field. According to a study published by PwC, only 27% of surveyed women would consider a career in technology, compared to 61% of men. Furthermore, only 5% of leadership positions in the technology sector are held by women and a quarter of female students say they’ve been put off a career in technology because it’s too male dominated.

These stats represent a vicious cycle: the underrepresentation of women in the tech sector leads to decreased interest and involvement among female students, which in turn perpetuates the shortage of women in the technology industry.

So how do we tackle this issue?

Unfortunately it’s not something that can be resolved overnight. Creating a more diverse workforce within the technology space requires a combination of factors, from fostering training and development within the workplace, to investing in STEM education, to implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives.

There’s a long way to go, but by recognising the imbalance and taking proactive steps to address it, organisations and education systems will be able to shift the ratio of women in tech in time.

We spoke with Aimee Doel, the central services lead at Resolution IT, about her own experience working in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Hi Aimee, could you share a bit about your role at Resolution IT and what your typical day entails?

As Resolution IT’s central services lead, I’m all about continuously finding ways to finetune and improve operations for both us and our clients. Essentially, I’m a professional problem-solver, tackling challenges head-on every day.

What drew you to the technology field initially?

I sort of stumbled into it by accident. I started out in client service and realised I loved helping people. There’s something so satisfying about making someone’s day a little easier by fixing a problem. I’ve also always loved diving into research and solving problems, which really lends itself to a career in IT.

How do you feel about being a woman in a predominantly male industry?

I certainly can’t speak for everyone, but honestly, it never quite hit me until you brought it up! Because Resolution IT has so many women in other areas of the business, I don’t tend to notice the lack of women in the service delivery team. I’ve worked in majority male teams throughout my career, no matter the organisation, so it’s not something I tend to notice anymore. But that being said, I’d love to see more women move into the IT space. With the influx of young talent streaming into IT nowadays, I’m hopeful for a shift. It’s an exciting field bursting with opportunities, especially with the speed technology is moving today.

Any advice for women eyeing a career in IT?

Try not to be intimidated by the fact that it’s male dominated. In my experience that’s never been an issue and the more of us that move into this space the more balance there will be. I completely understand that it can be off-putting, but if this is something you’re passionate about, don’t let the gender imbalance deter you. We need more people like you!

I genuinely love this job and get so much satisfaction that I can’t imagine doing anything else. I can honestly say that not once have I ever felt intimidated in my career by people I’ve worked with, and maybe I’m just lucky to have worked at great companies – but I’d hope that it’s the same in most organisations.

What are you aiming for next in your career?

I want to continue working my way up but it’s important for me to stay involved. Climbing the ladder to more managerial positions can often mean your role becomes less about the helping people side that I really love. As I’m in a senior role, I get a lot of joy helping the technicians solve problems, so it’s not just helping clients but helping my team too. I really enjoy being heavily involved in the hands-on aspect, so no matter where my career takes me, it’s important that I never lose that.

Thanks Aimee! If you’d like to learn more about careers at Resolution IT, visit our careers page or email our People and Culture team.