Women are great leaders, doctors, engineers, marketers, and managers. They perform their duties smartly and work shoulder-to-shoulder with their men colleagues. Even though tech is a male-dominated industry, more and more women pursue an IT career. What is it like to be a woman in tech? We’ve asked our colleagues a few questions and hope their answers will inspire you.
How many women work in tech? Some recent statistics say women occupy only 22 percent of all tech roles across European companies. Since we don’t know the accurate answer, the correct answer is: as many as they want to pursue this field. To all those ladies out there, regardless of the occupation or passions – students, doctors, engineers, astronauts, soldiers, mothers, daughters, and women of all kinds and professions, keep shining and doing what you’re best at!
At Innobyte, we have a small but growing community of women. We put our best efforts into succeeding and taking the most out of our professions and the industry we activate. Our contribution matters and remains imprinted through the work we put in, no matter how big or small. We contribute equally (sometimes with a little more charm) and work shoulder-to-shoulder with our male colleagues. Our voice is strong, and our messages can further inspire other women.
What is it like to be a woman in tech? We’ve asked our colleagues a few questions and hope their answers will inspire you. From women in tech, with love:
What is your superpower?
- Cristina: It might sound cheesy, but I have a good intuition; this is my superpower!
- Ramona: I have a mix of inner and outer power that led me to the woman I am today. My strength lies in patience, ambition and empathy.
- Clarisa: My superpower is the harmonious combination of two opposite sides of my personality: pragmatism and intuition. I am passionate about reading, yoga, hikes and dancing.
- Beatrice: my superpower is listening and empathy. I am passionate about self-discovery, psychology and neuroscience.
- Oana: My superpower is empathy, and I manage to attract people because they feel listened to and understood. But if we talk about passions, I like to cook sweets and impress my friends.
- Petruta: It’s not a superpower, but I like gardening. The ones around me appreciate my calmness and the power to organize things smoothly.
- Mariana: My superpowers are empathy and kindness. We see the world not as it is but as we are.
What or who motivates you in life?
- Cristina: Precisely this song: I AM WOMAN – Emmy Meli
- Ramona: Mainly, I am my number one motivator. I always empower myself to be a better version of myself in every way possible. Secondly, my family is one of the most important motivators in my life. They make me want to be better and more ambitious.
- Clarisa: The aspects that generally motivate me are related to the possibility of personal development, learning, discovery and the possibility of having a positive impact around me.
- Beatrice: I am led by faith and my endless source of inspiration, my kids.
- Oana: Anyone with what I lack motivates me: at the gym, a stronger, fitter, more determined person to achieve results motivates me, or at work, a smarter or more relaxed person.
- Petruta: My son is my greatest inspiration and motivation.
- Mariana: The thought that life is a beautiful journey. I am convinced that many wonderful things are waiting for us. We have to take steps towards them and embrace them.
What book or movie helped you develop yourself professionally, personally and as a human, and why?
- Cristina: Nothing comes by chance, and we can all learn from every movie we see or book that we read. One particular documentary had a significant impact on me. It made me furious and sad and opened my eyes to what it means to be a woman, specifically, a free woman. The documentary is called “Reversing Roe”.
- Ramona: I am a continuous learner, so the last book I read helped. It’s a study book for project management certification called PMBOK, which helped me learn and pass the PMP exam.
- Clarisa: Because I like psychotherapy, most books that impacted my development are from this area. Some books made me focus on myself, my behaviour, reactions and emotions. It is difficult for me to choose just one, so I will instead mention a series of authors who impacted me: Irvin Yalom, Gabor Mate, and Edith Eger.
- Beatrice: It’s a book I highly recommend to those searching for personal development, “The choice” by dr. Edith Eva Eger. It brought light into my life after a depressive period.
- Oana: There are several books/podcasts. I like Raluca Anton both for what she says and for what she is. It is an example of femininity, delicacy, and gentleness that I aspire to. Also, I recommend her book “1 on 1 therapy with yourself”.
- Petruta: “In search of happiness” and “The Book Thief” books are real-life lessons.
- Mariana: You can find lessons in every book you read. In the last few years, I have read psychology books that helped me realize why people act the way they do and how to set healthy boundaries.
Your empowerment message to all ladies out there
- Cristina: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Ramona: Be kind to yourself and patient. We all face good, bad or stressful times. We don’t always have the best reaction towards them, but we are humans. Sometimes we fail, but how we get back on our feet is more important. My advice for all women out there is to make time for themselves. When you are ok, everything else will sort out. When it comes to your career, do what you like, and you will never work a day.
- Clarisa: Live the life you desire! From my point of view, we still live in a society with two extremes: on the one hand, we are trapped in society’s pressure to succeed, to demonstrate, and FOMO (fear of missing out) – which can lead us to exhaustion. At the same time, the negative judgments on women who choose not to dedicate themselves to a career but towards a “quieter” life. Regardless of the direction selected, social pressure or what others think, we should live consciously and as authentically as possible. I am sure that in every woman there is strength, courage and determination to do whatever she sets her mind to. One woman’s value is undeniable regardless of the direction she chooses.
- Beatrice: Take responsibility for your happiness, rejoice and be grateful for everything you have experienced or at least for the beautiful moments and extraordinary people in your life.
- Oana: We are fine and enough as we are. We don’t need confirmation from the outside. We can do whatever we want, or at least we can try. It’s ok to prioritize yourself and give yourself moments with what makes you happy without thinking you are selfish.
- Petruta: Be strong and go through all the trials of life with confidence and your head up.
- Mariana: Dare, say yes more often to the things that scare you, trust yourself and do more of what makes you happy!
Popeye the Sailor used spinach to gather energy. What’s your fuel?
- Cristina: Coffee, coffee, coffee and time with my family.
- Ramona: It might sound like a cliche, but I gather my energy from people’s smiles and the time dedicated to the things I love.
- Clarisa: Everything starts and ends with sleep :)) If I don’t have a long and restful sleep, no other method will bring me energy that day.
- Beatrice: When I love and am grateful for the wonderful people in my life, it makes me feel happy and energetic. That’s an excellent exercise to practice!
- Oana: Nice people, a coffee with a dear friend, a trip, a new sport.
- Petruta: Lots of chocolate
- Mariana: I charge my batteries with lots of coffee, optimism and love.
If you could work with any woman in the world, who would it be?
- Cristina: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also known as Notorious RBG. Sadly, she’s not among us, but I have always been fascinated by her intelligence and power. She fought against gender discrimination and was part of the Supreme Court in the USA.
- Ramona: I would like to work with Michelle Obama for several reasons: she’s the strong woman behind a strong man, a black woman who succeeded in life despite challenges, and a career woman with a beautiful family.
- Clarisa: Reese Witherspoon, for the influence and contribution brought to the community of women from several industries: media, authors, entrepreneurship.
- Beatrice: I am currently collaborating with the most incredible women in the world, my colleagues from Innobyte, and that’s enough for me!
- Oana: I would like to learn “femininity” from Raluca Anton or Andreea Raicu.
- Petruta: I can’t think of anyone here.
- Mariana: With my mom. She’s a great listener and gentle teacher; we make a pretty good team!
Dear ladies, you can achieve whatever you desire by putting passion into your work. Never stop learning, ask for help, find a community to guide you, and believe in yourself. For those looking for a career in IT and eCommerce, we have several available positions at Innobyte for developers, QA Engineers and project managers. Check them out here: https://innobyte.com/careers/
Keep on rocking, ladies, and Happy Women’s day!
