Polski
Programmers, testers, designers, IT specialists, analysts, architects, project managers or salespeople in the IT industry emphasize their focus on development and problem solving. Regardless of their position, what matters to them is their role in a team, their relationships with colleagues in the industry, and being appreciated for their competence, not their gender. In the context of the IT industry, various women in different positions share their experiences, emphasizing the importance of professional and personal development.
Women in IT work women with a variety of specialties, from programming to project management. Regardless of the company they work for, it is important to them that their work is valued on the basis of skills and competence. Many of them emphasize how important it is to have the opportunity to learn, grow and work on interesting projects that bring satisfaction and allow for career advancement. Anna Nikiel – programmer, Magdalena Konca – information systems architect, Agata Budaszewska – software tester and Kalina Litwiniuk – Deputy Director of the Sales Department speak on their role in teams, relationships with professional colleagues and appreciation for competence, not gender.
Table of contents
- Remote work, good atmosphere and opportunity for development
- It’s a myth that IT is a man’s industry
- In IT, it’s competency and negativity that count, not gender
- Polish female programmers know an average of 4 programming languages – exactly the same as their male colleagues in the industry
- Programmed for good cooperation
- The role of women in the IT industry is becoming increasingly important
- Salary and flexible employment are an effective lure for talent
Remote work, good atmosphere and opportunity for development
Working remotely, a good atmosphere and the opportunity for growth are the key aspects that women in IT value most. This allows them to work more efficiently, solve problems and expand their knowledge of market news. For many of them, it is important that the workplace offers not only an attractive salary, but also development opportunities and work on interesting projects.
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That’s the expectation, according to a Women in IT survey commissioned by Non Fluff Job Insights, that girls have. Women consider the atmosphere at work and the opportunity for development to be the most important aspect of employment (indicated by as many as 74% of respondents). How women feel at work translates into their effectiveness and inquisitiveness. The better they feel, the easier it is to solve problems and expand their knowledge of market news. Working on interesting projects is as important to women as an attractive salary. The company’s reputation doesn’t matter much to them if they are guaranteed growth.
Women at Enigma (an Information Security Systems company) account for approx. 30% of total employment – This share is growing year by year. They must often face various challenges in such an organization, but their determination and adaptability allow them to succeed. What challenges do they face? According to Kalina Litwiniuk, Deputy Director of the Sales Department – W Today’s biggest challenge is creating new technologies or pathways. Keeping up with technology is a natural part of daily work. What’s important in all of this is to have a team of people by your side that you can count on regardless of gender.
It’s a myth that IT is a man’s industry
According to data from the Women in IT report, the fair sex is much more likely to be filled in testing positions than men. Agata Budaszewska, a software tester at Enigma SOI, has the same opinion. I don’t think IT is a typically male industry, nor do I ever see the testing field that way. In our department, almost half of the team are women. I think one of the qualities that contribute to women’s success in this sector is determination to achieve. I’m not saying that men don’t have it. I believe that it is simply greater in women due to the fact that we are the ones who more often suffer from imposter syndrome and feel the need to prove ourselves and see to every detail so that no one accuses us of incompetence. We have to prove to ourselves that we are here for a reason, that someone saw something in us and that is why they chose us for the job.
In IT, it’s competencies and negativity that count, not gender
Magdalena Konca, Systems Architect at Enigma SOI goes a step further, reasoning that gender is relegated to the background, and competence and skills count. – I believe that it is becoming increasingly rare for women in the industry to face difficulties caused by gender. Such stereotypical thinking is most likely the aftermath of years of perpetuating beliefs that there are divisions between male and female professions. Agata Budaszewska presents a similar point of view, pointing out that the mere fact of being a woman does not significantly affect project development or innovation. – From my observation, teams in every industry benefit from employee diversity. I would like to make sure that whenever I am considered for a new position or for the next project, the experience and competence I have should be taken into account first. – Agata emphasizes.
Polish female programmers know an average of 4 programming languages – exactly the same as their male colleagues in the industry
As for the fact that software development is a must, no one needs to be convinced. In this regard, women also have a lot to say. 85% of respondents to the Women in IT survey work in development teams. 30% work on software development in backend technologies. The second most popular specialization is Frontend, which is minimally ahead of tester positions. Polish programmers mostly code in JavaScript and Java. The third most popular programming language is C#. In the overall list of technologies that female programmers claim to know, SQL (83%), Java (63%) and Python (55%) come out on top. Polish female programmers know an average of four programming languages – exactly the same number as their male colleagues. It appears that there are no determinants that differentiate between male and female programmers in terms of the knowledge and disadvantages they have, taking into account gender predisposition.
Anna Nikiel, a programmer, believes there are no general gender-specific traits. – It all boils down to personal qualities inherent in a person. Yes, there are some more common female traits due to biological or social influences, but taking each person individually “under the magnifying glass,” we quickly learn that it is not worth generalizing. It is more important to focus on passions and interests, rather than gender-based stereotypical traits. I think the IT industry will grow. By necessity, the new employees in this sector will also be women. In my opinion, a lot has changed over the last decade. To illustrate this phenomenon, it may be noted that in my field of study (bioinformatics), girls accounted for 50%.
Programmed for good cooperation
Is greater determination than in men a characteristic of women? Based on Kalina Litviniuk’s observations, it appears so. It is among women that she sees more openness and desire for personal development. In addition, showing empathy and understanding another person come more easily to women, which can improve the effectiveness of cooperation and relationships between team members.
The role of women in the IT industry is becoming increasingly important
Both in the Polish market and globally. A manager in IT can become anyone regardless of gender. Research indicates that approx. 5% of women serve as managers. It is worth noting that the percentage of female and male managers is the same. Roles such as manager or team leader are closely linked to knowledge and competence. Women are succeeding by contributing to innovation, diversity and technological development. Their presence in the industry not only inspires, but also translates into better results and more dynamic development of the entire field of IT.
Salary and flexible employment are an effective lure for talent
The market is seeing increasing interest in the possibility of retraining for roles in the IT sector. Women hope to fulfill their career ambitions in this way, combining interesting work with family life and passions. IT appears as a better prospect for earnings and work – life balance. Currently, the market is still short of programmers in various fields. As you can see, this niche can boldly be filled by women.
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