Not long ago, a friend -who is a mum as well- asked me, how do I get into tech without any experience and being tech unsavvy, is it that difficult? I said to her “let’s have a coffee first, mama!” During our conversation, I got back to her about her previous question and said: “Relax, breath and repeat: I am capable of entering into tech! And it is not true about having no experience.”
Let me say the same to you, every single one of us as career changers have experience. We don’t start from scratch, we have different professional backgrounds and most meaningful life experiences. We are tech consumers; indeed, we have kids, we use apps for our kids’ schools, we shop online to mention a few, we know what works and things that should be improved. We have insights, and as a marketer, I am telling you, you already know a lot.
And if we talk about all the soft skills we have developed during our motherhood journey such as organisational skills, conflict resolution, problem-solving skills (very useful in technology), coaching, well the list goes on. So, you are not starting from scratch, mama!
So making that point clear, let’s see what can Mums do to start in Tech:
Your passion
Before you start looking for courses that you can study, think about what attracts you, what you love, what you enjoy. You can check your hobbies; there may be something there. Do you like painting, design, games, puzzles, chest, drones, writing, origami? Or maybe hobbies you used to love back in school. The idea is to think about how you can use technology to enhance those areas you are already passionate about.
Transferable Skills
Now, think about your previous roles, what you have learnt, how have you been exposed to technology, any experiences that you can continue developing with technology. For example, if you work in social fields, how can technology help to achieve social good; perhaps you work in finances how could technology improve your work performance.
Think about those skills you have developed, for example, if you work in the construction field, how your solving skills can be used in IT roles. Previous experience in customer service or retail? You already have communication skills and perhaps Microsoft Office proficiency that can help you if you want to work in support services or even part of product development teams.
When you look at your previous roles having in mind the roles you want to obtain in tech, you may find a lot of relevant experience that can help you to get that dreamed tech job.
Research Technology
Do your research about new technologies or how things are built. Start listening to what people who work in tech are saying, watch different videos, read tech magazines, books, blogs, even if you don’t understand a thing the more you listen, the more familiar you get with it. This is so important to realise what attracts you, for example in my case I have never been more fascinated at any conference than when I hear about AI (Artificial Intelligence), Cloud Solutions, UX and MarTech (Integration of Marketing, Technology and IT). So really start digging in, and you will find something you love, and you want to learn more about it.
Start Learning
You can quit your job tomorrow and start a full-time Bootcamp and go for it. I have seen a lot of people doing it with great results, I did it as well but to be honest, before you even know what you like or have a little bit of experience with some of the technologies you will learn I think you can waste a lot of time and lot of money if you don’t choose the right Bootcamp. So before anything, please do some online courses, tutorials and test different technologies, this is going to help you to decide what you want to learn, selecting the right place and the right paths for you. I recommend that you explore CodeCademy, FreeCodeCamp, General Assembly and CodeWars; you can join their free courses, workshops and challenges.
Networking
Meetups are the perfect way to meet other awesome mums in tech, get inspired by their stories and learn from their experiences. Most meetups teach you something while networking; the members are very supportive, and it is a collaborative space you want to be in.
From my personal experience, every time I have met someone in a Meetup has connected me with someone else, has told me about a job, a program or scholarship I didn’t know.
Join the Meetup website and Eventbrite so you can browse weekly for free events in your city and join any online events available.
Join Tech Groups pro Women
There are a lot of organisations that help Women get into Tech, most of them ran by volunteers, they usually do events every year, they have some programs available and even mentoring for women starting in tech.
So follow them online, join their mailing list, engage with them. For this matter, Linkedin is a fantastic way to be involved; your connections will let you know for events and programs you didn’t even know.
My favourites are Code Like a Girl, Women in Tech Australia, VIC ICT for Women, Girls in Tech Australia, Muses Code JS.
Find a Mentor
Mentoring is fantastic and super beneficial for all career changers. The right mentor will guide us in our journey, and you will be surprised how many successful women in tech are willing to help raise other women like you. At the moment, there are different mentorship programs, organisations and even government programs that help women pursue their dreams, to build their businesses. Have a look at MentorShe, Girls in Tech Australia, She Mentors.
Volunteer
There are a lot of opportunities for you to be part of tech projects, you can join some organisations where you can learn and make contacts while helping others. Some volunteer positions consist of staff support to run events and help beginners. You can even volunteer in your local community where they may need people to help elders or minority groups who may need computer assistance; this could help to learn simple but effective ways on how to communicate about technology. You can volunteer at Code Like a Girl, Girls in Australia and for the VIC ICT for Women programs.
Start a project or be part of one.
Nothing better than giving some tutorials a go and create something on your own, start building your portfolio.
Some programs are so easy to follow, and they are a fantastic way to learn. You can follow some youtube tutorials, and when you finish, you can add some features to your project. You can share it in some forums to receive feedback from other fellow mums in tech.
You can also contribute to some open-source projects, -“but I don’t know how to code” I knew you would say that - you don’t need to code, you can be part of the research, write the documentation or even test the program. Check Github, StackOverflow, Medium, FreeCodeCamp, Udemy and W3Schools.
Apply anyway
And the most crucial thing just apply for anything you think may help you: programs, scholarships, mentoring and jobs. Yes, yes, yes, let me be honest with you, you will never feel you are ready even if you are so why miss the chance to learn or experience an interview?
You never know, some companies and programs are looking for a diverse group of people with various skills, backgrounds and most importantly with the right attitude to learn.
Every single time you doubt it, just do it. You are more capable than what you think.
Please don’t stop looking, keep researching, keep reaching out for help, keep fighting. What we wish is out there waiting for us, we just need to keep walking towards it.
Remember, you have a lot to offer to the Technology Industry, and we need you, we need your approach, your unique way of seeing the world. Join us, mama!
Let me know in the comments if you found this useful or share with me your experience below!
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