A female tech leader is giving graduates advice on how to land a role in the technology industry. 

Juliet Moran has been the technical director of TelephoneSystems.Cloud for over 20 years and has seen the number of female graduates entering the sector fall.

She’s concerned by the lack of women pursuing careers in technology despite many being qualified.

Women make up only 26% of the technology workforce in the UK, and the gender gap widens in the years following graduation as they switch to low-skill and non-professional careers.

Women are 22% less likely to work in a STEM occupation after graduating and female STEM graduates are less likely to take a master’s degree in the field. 

Juliet Moran has shared her tips to encourage them to follow a career in technology. 

Juliet, the technical director of TelephoneSystems.Cloud is advising female graduates to join the tech workforce to learn in-demand technical skills to become more employable.

Juliet said: “As a woman in the tech industry, I am unfortunately a rarity, and I would love to see more female graduates pursuing a career in the industry. 

“In comparison to men, females who study STEM subjects are much more likely to leave the industry after graduating, which is a real shame for such exciting and innovative career opportunities. 

“Anyone ambitious enough to achieve a degree in a STEM subject should not be put off from pursuing a career just because of their gender. 

“I am keen to help female graduates make the transition from university to the workforce and I urge them to fight against the stereotypes and imposter syndrome, attend networking events and attend extra training programmes.”

Top advice for female tech graduates:

1. Training

There are a range of training programmes which cater to all levels and help women expand their knowledge in specific areas and for in-demand skills like cloud computing and AI, this will ultimately improve employability. 

2. Networking 

Networking at events and social groups helps women meet others in the industry with unique knowledge and advice. This will help them create strong relationships and share ideas. 

3. Ignore imposter syndrome 

There are many challenges for women hoping to get into a tech career, especially with how male-dominated it is. They need to believe in their knowledge and skills as graduates and ignore industry stereotypes and any imposter syndrome which comes with it. 

4. Start the search

Securing a job after university can be overwhelming, but regularly searching on specialist job boards, contacting recruitment agencies, using university career hubs and attending job fairs can help speed up the process. 

5. Learn soft skills 

As important as hard technical skills are, tech positions also require employees to have soft skills which help bridge the gap between the technology and end users.  Mastering the art of communication, listening, problem-solving and adaptability could drastically improve the chance of securing a job.