Holiday Extras – Rebecca Vickery, Associate Data Scientist

We interviewed Rebecca Vickery, Associate Data Scientist at Holiday Extras on her experience and thoughts on women in tech.

Rebecca Vickery

  1. What does your job role involve?

Transforming our data into useful analysis and data products to answer business questions and aid decision-making.

 

  1. What made you choose a career in technology?

I have a passion for data and love writing code.

 

  1. Did you study an IT or technology related subject at A-Level or University?

No, I studied Life Sciences at University but took a temporary web tech role after completing my degree. This was my first introduction to writing code and led me in a round about way to my current role.

 

  1. Did you get any work experience in IT or technology before this role?

I started out in a website maintenance role in a small company many years ago, working with php and html.

 

  1. Do you think there is a lack of females in the IT and tech sector?

I think this is improving, but yes I think there is still a distinct lack of women in this sector. This is often most starkly apparent when I attend conferences in my field.

 

  1. Do you find there is a stereotype that a career in IT or technology is just for men?

I think that there is particularly amongst people who don’t work directly in this field. I have personally encountered people expressing surprise when I tell them what I do, or automatically assuming that I work in a non-tech role.

 

  1. What would entice women to study technology related courses?

More female role models in the field, particularly at leadership level.

 

  1. Are there barriers when it comes to women getting into tech?

I don’t think there are any barriers. I have found that actually there is a huge amount of support and resources already out there. I think it is more of a societal barrier.

 

  1. How could we encourage more women to start a career in tech?

Promotion of women already in the field. I also think programs that start early in school to encourage girls to study STEM subjects.