Business Chief USA February 2019

PEOPLE
3%
of females say
tech is their first
career choice
27%
of females
would consider
a career in tech
52
16%
of females
have had tech
suggested to
them as a career
Stats taken from: PwC Women in Tech
that for some, a conversation with an
experienced leader is all it takes.
“Especially when I talk to females, usually
they know what they need to do,
they just need someone to listen and
help reassure them,” Batka comments.
As a mentor, she sees self-image as a
key challenge faced by women especially
in STEM fields. “A female will look
at a job spec with 10 attributes and say
‘I’ve only got five so I won’t be successful’,
whereas a male might say ‘I’ve got
two; I’ll go for it’. Sometimes, you’ve
just got to go for it. I spend a lot of time
talking to people about how to use
their network.”
Gupta adds that those already in
leadership positions should strive to
open up opportunities. “My call out to
women leaders, and male leaders who
have been successful, is to throw out
the ladder to the one behind them,
whether male or female, and create
opportunities for others.”
FEBRUARY 2019