Authentic insights from women who are at the beginning of their IT careers and have most of the challenges ahead of them. How do they feel in their position, how did they get into IT, and what are their next plans?
We are hearing more and more about professionally successful women lately. There are articles about capable managers, how the female element enriches the corporate environment, and how women excel in leadership and mentoring.
We learn about the life stories of successful female entrepreneurs who managed to start their own businesses or give a new direction to their careers while on parental leave. Every woman has a different story, a different motivation, and a different life goal and fulfillment.
At Ness, we have many inspiring colleagues who have found their place in IT and are excelling at what they do. We’re fascinated by their courage and determination to step into what might seem like a very masculine environment and make a significant impact.
At Ness in the Czech Republic, women make up a third of the workforce, and their numbers continue to grow. You don’t have to look far to find experienced female managers, programmers, or analysts.
While the stories of women in senior positions are full of valuable experience and definitely worth sharing, today we decided to take a slightly different approach. We want to share equally interesting insights from women who are just starting their IT careers and have most of the challenges ahead of them.
IT runs in the family. My brother is a programmer, my dad is also an IT guy, so I naturally started programming in high school. I am currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Knowledge Engineering at the Faculty of Information Technology at CTU and also work part-time as a Java developer. Before that, I was a tester, and this is actually my first development position.
I’m glad that even though I’m the youngest on the project, all my colleagues treat me as an equal partner, and I haven’t encountered any negative attitudes. It’s nice to work in a mixed team—the women really bring the team to life. Plus, we women look at things a bit differently, which enriches the discussions.
“Many times, I’ve been told how lucky I am to have gone to that school and to be doing what I love from the very beginning. I just think that if someone enjoys it and wants to do it, they should start, because it’s never too late. Especially today, when there are so many opportunities. Women don’t have to worry about it being a men-only job and not fitting in—we need smart female developers in the IT world.”
Radka Bodnárová
Junior SW Developer
I wanted to be involved in something that was changing the world. I wanted to do work that was focused on a result that I could actually see. I wanted a little more flexibility in terms of attendance, sometimes a home office option. The IT world seemed to be the answer to everything.
Although I didn’t have an IT background and am not a native Czech, I found a job that was a bit more technical, which became my stepping stone to transition from the economic sphere to IT. I wasn’t afraid to ask my colleagues questions and perform tasks on a real project. I knew that everyone on the team had been a Junior at some point and had started out just like me.
It’s not about being a man or a woman; it’s about your willingness to learn new things and your ability to use common sense. IT is a field that allows you to evaluate your existing knowledge and enrich it with new skills. I use my previous experience to better understand the customer’s business, and that’s an advantage that helped me get into IT through a nontraditional path.
„Never fear. If you’re serious about a career in IT, it’s time to give it a try.”
Oleksandra Sinchura
Junior Systems Analyst
I’ve been playing games on the computer since I was in first grade, and I’ve always been close to IT. I graduated from college with a degree in economics and spent my last two years focusing on analytics. That’s when I discovered that analysis was what I enjoyed most of all, so I joined a bank as an IT analyst after school.
The beginning was not easy, but I got into a great team of about ten guys who were willing to help me with everything and give me advice at any time. Even here at Ness, I see seamless collaboration among team members on our projects. We have some very skilled programmers, and I don’t feel like they are viewed any differently than I am as a programmer. The same goes for other positions.
„The main thing is not to be afraid to try. There are a lot of positions in IT, and it’s not just about programming. Women and men can have different perspectives, and it’s the female perspective that can make the difference in the end.“
Veronika Pipková
Junior Business Analyst