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Do you want a career change? Here are 8 programmes that will help women switching from non-IT to IT careers in India!
Do you want a career change? Here are 8 programmes that will help women in switching from non-IT to IT careers in India.
I was speaking with an innovative kid about his non-profit initiative a few months ago, as part of which he encourages and upskills lesser privileged girls to pursue STEM careers. He was relaying his experiences, stating that even today, a sizable percentage of people regard this field to be a man’s domain.
As an engineer, I’ve witnessed the era when gender ratios in colleges were extremely lopsided. It was widely expected that most women would pursue humanities/arts because of the prevalent mindset that a woman had to eventually become an efficient home-maker post-marriage.
Let’s get to some alarming but important statistics. According to the latest AISHE survey, while more than 50% of women enrol on humanities and arts for further education, the figure stands at around 28% when it comes to engineering and technology streams.
Furthermore, the ratio of women studying computer science in Indian universities in the hardware domain has been falling abysmally lower in the last decade.
While the reports show some progress over the years as a whole in gender distributions, the overall low representation of women in tech in India can be linked to societal factors as well as systemic issues.
Due to cultural norms and gender stereotyping, most young girls have less access to resources and avenues that can stimulate an interest in technology.
This disparity leads to skill gaps between men and women despite being equally talented and on a level field in terms of capabilities, resulting in a lack of opportunities. Due to this, several women with potential or ambition are propelled to undertake non-IT careers.
Additionally, the lack of guidance from the right mentors and inspiring role models creates a vicious spiral that must be stopped by taking the right measures to encourage and upskill more women to step into tech professions.
In spite of all the above, it is heartening to see a slow but steady rise in the number of women in India aspiring to switching from non-IT to the IT industry for better remuneration, opportunities and growth. However, the challenges and hurdles on this road are plenty.
Most women I interact with as a part of my work do not know where to start. The common questions are:
In response to these questions and more, here are some tips for women in India switching from non-IT to IT jobs to make the move seamless, rewarding and successful.
The first step should be to determine your career objectives and zero in on the precise area of technology you wish to get into, depending on your interest.
Spend adequate time to research and get acquainted with current trends, technologies, and job roles in the technology industry.
Do not let people’s biases or myopic views get to you, and build a circle with supportive women who will egg you on as you take this journey.
Identify the required skills for your chosen technology sector and look for courses/certifications online as well as offline, if applicable, to enrol.
You could also check for readily available resources to learn and upskill. Platforms like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning can be a great starting point to explore.
Keep your eyes and ears open. Be out there on social media. Join relevant communities and participate in events or networking meets which can help you connect with like-minded women or experienced professionals who can mentor or guide you through the journey.
It is important to start building experience, bit by bit. Small steps go a long way, so you could do an internship or freelance tasks/jobs to add to your profile.
This would also give you the confidence to take on more in the future as you pursue your chosen field. At the beginning, the focus should be on learning and getting comfortable in the new area of work.
Following a combination format in the resume works best for women switching from non-IT to IT industry.
This implies that the skills and achievements section should be highlighted first, and then the work experience/educational qualifications can be detailed in the usual chronological format. This would ensure your added tech skills/achievements get the required visibility.
While the above can be done as an individual effort, fortunately, today we also have organizations that support the transitioning of women in India from non-tech to the tech industry.
Due to increased focus on diversity and inclusion, these companies/institutions have launched initiatives and programmes to bridge the gender gap and provide a more conducive environment for women to thrive and succeed in the technology sector.
Below is a curated list of programmes that enable women in India to transition from the non-tech to the tech industry.
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Multiple award winning blogger, influencer, author, multi-faceted entrepreneur, creative writing mentor, choreographer, social activist and a wanderer at heart read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
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