We interviewed Dharma Guadeloupe, Consultant at Sogeti UK on her experience and thoughts on women in tech.
Quality Engineering & Testing and Apps & Cloud Strategies.
From a young age I’ve always been interested in technology, particularly through gaming. My somewhat unconventional gaming style taught me early on that you can’t design for every eventuality and a hobby was born of stress testing titles. A career in testing was a natural progression for me.
No, unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to pursue higher education.
I was fortunate enough to enrol with CodeYourFuture, a non-profit charity who teach a Software Development Course. This allowed me to learn the fundamentals and spark a passion for a field that would later become my entry point to the sector.
Yes, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is still very much a male-dominated field.
I think that the tides are turning where women are concerned. There’s a lot more drive to get women into tech as “career changers”. Creating women only spaces has helped open the door to a field that previously seemed closed off unless you pursued it through the traditional path or higher education.
As our lives are starting to revolve around technology and coming out of pandemic where ‘Working from Home’ became a driving force, I think more women are starting to look into career prospects that enable them to retrain from home and still provide a good work/life balance upon entering the sector.
At the school-leavers age I do think there is more work to be done to keep STEM careers a viable option.
Sparking that interest in younger woman and bringing them into contact with women currently working in the sector. Access to role-models and mentors enabled me to start and stay the course when it came to retraining. Highlighting that you don’t have to come from a traditional background to transition into tech.
Stay curious. It’s a lifetime study, the field evolves quickly. There are no barriers except the ones you erect yourself. As you grow into your role, reach out to other women starting out and BE that mentor for someone else.