We interviewed Clair Timmermans, Technical Security Analyst at Zellis on her experience and thoughts on women in tech.
Working on long term projects involving top security tools and vulnerability management. I also work on our email security and our security awareness training program which involves carrying out phishing simulations.
I have witnessed my dad’s business encounter many problems with hackers and I heard of stories about friends and family falling for phishing attacks and scams that ultimately led to losing money. I was determined to help and protect vulnerable people from malicious people online which opted me to start my journey by taking on a 4 – year cyber security university course.
Yes, I completed a 4-year cyber security course at university with a first-class honours.
I worked for the NEBRC alongside my studies at university to help deliver cyber security services to small businesses around the north-east of the UK.
Yes, I started noticing it back in university where in our class of around 100 people there were a total of 8 females.
Yes, I think that one of the reasons could also be that there is a lack of females who take on a career in IT, whether it is friends, family, in movies or being represented in the media.
Good role models, real examples, and stories of women in Tech who have enjoyed their journey in the tech industry. One thing that has helped me during my studies in a technology related course is that I made friends and connections at university that helped me feel less left out. Having supportive communities is extremely important, my female lecturers gave me great support and motivation throughout my studies.
Yes, the lack of female role models, friends, family members that go into tech which makes it more difficult for women to visualise what the experience will be like.
Share real life stories, what the day in the life of a female in tech looks like, examples of how they feel within the team.
My advice would be to have faith in yourself, reach out to those around you for advice if you’re ever not sure about what’s going on. Everyone embarks on a unique journey and while paths may diverge, there is no incorrect path to follow. There’s nothing wrong in being different and the most important thing would be to be your authentic self.