3 Reasons Why 2021 is the Year for Women to Join Tech
Women are outnumbered in tech and have been for years. So what makes 2021 any different than the past 2 decades? First, there has been a change in the way we work. No one expects the workforce to move back to how it was prior to the pandemic. There are many more remote jobs and the way tasks are done have changed. As a result of these changes, there has been an increase in cyber attacks, which are expected to cost $6 trillion annually by 2021. Companies will need to invest in their IT security teams to cope with these threats. This means that there will continue to be more positions opening up in IT security and some of these will include work from home options. Working from home may lift some barriers to women in tech.
Women have been hard hit by the pandemic, they have been disproportionately affected. Industries such as retail and restaurants have seen large layoffs. During 2020, 10,000 restaurants in Canada closed due to the pandemic and that number continues to increase in 2021. Women in these fields have the skills needed for IT. More and more hiring managers are looking for soft skills that are found in these industries. Soft skills such as collaboration, communication, and adaptability are much more important than technical skills. Hiring managers are looking to hire for the right attitude and fit. Technical skills can be trained on the job, through certifications and short courses such as boot camps that provide technical skill development. To start your career in IT, the CompTIA A+ certification is the perfect entry-level certification to get your foot in the door. It is no longer necessary to attend years of University to get into IT.
There is an increasing awareness of the need for women in tech and women are working to raise each other up. In the past, women have been vying for the few seats at the table, while now, women are feeling more confident that there are multiple seats at that table. Women are carving out time to mentor each other and to work on themselves as well. Increasing their credentials with CompTIA Security+ training or CompTIA Network+ training to earn accredited certifications and validate their skills.
Our director of operations, Marla Ovenden-Cooper, recently attended a Women in Tech Town Hall hosted by CompTIA and was pleasantly surprised. She heard stories from women like Ashley Martinez, who just a few years ago was a Marketing and Communications Coordinator and is currently a UX designer and Cloud Lead for Tech Data. She says she never thought that she would be a woman in tech and the greatest lesson learned was “Don’t fear failure – embrace it and move onward!” Ashley was named 2021 CompTIA Spotlight #Futureleader Award winner. In just a few years, you too can become a leading #WomaninTech.
Read our other blog: The Roadmap to Your Future in Cybersecurity