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Throughout the year we would love to be able to share stories of women in tech, in the hope that it will inspire young women thinking of starting out, or women who are trying to find their way against the odds.
In this blog, Angi Mathea, from Agido, discusses her experience within the tech community. Angi talks about why she wanted to pursue a career in technology, her passions, and career highlights. With years of experience, she gives advice on what can be done to raise awareness and encourage women to get into software engineering.
When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in technology, and why?
Natural science was always very interesting to me. I always want to understand things and not only believe. Apart from that my Dad always taught me to think things through and transfer knowledge. So I can't remember if it was a question of this or that. Sometimes I think the other part (just believing and taking for granted) would have been very interesting too. But then again, the deep want of understanding things gains power and leads me to find out why things happen - at least to search for some sort of explanation.
Where and how did you start?
I observed spiders when I was very young. My Dad taught me a programming language (although I rather wanted to do other things). When I was about 14 the Aids virus came up very prominently and I read everything about it I could get. So, it never really was a question.
Any particular highlights of your career?
Highlights mostly appear unexpected. Most times a highlight turns out to be one a long time afterwards when I do not expect it anymore. The thing is that things come together and join and build a complete picture only after some time and when all pieces of a jigsaw are collected. That sometimes needs more time. So I think it's important to focus and deepen knowledge within not too many sections.
Are there any challenges you have faced being a woman in tech?
No, not really. I always had very nice male colleagues and supporter.
Is there anything women can do to get started, such as courses, conferences to attend etc?
I think this is no gender question. Start where you like what you do. If you like programming - go for it. If you like soldering - go for that. Don't try to catch anything which is not your style. If you decided what to do, follow your learning style. May be you like learning on your own, then do so and try out things. May be you like learning together with others check out courses and classes or meetups. The important thing is not what to do but to start in the first place. After trying out things you will definitely be able to judge which course, class, talk, conference or whatever will help you going on.
What can be done to raise awareness and encourage women to work in Tech?
Women shouldn't hide. If a man applies for a job he is confident and happy if 6 of 10 bullet points of the profile match. A woman mostly only applies if at least 9 of 10 properties match. So be brave, don't fear it and have courage. You will learn through any result. If you are refused you know what to improve or do next.
Best piece of advice?
1. Never fear your own light!
2. Start doing things! Your way will guide you.
3. Take care of yourself - no one else will.
At UMATR, we encourage diversity in the workplace, and work with tech companies that share the same values as us. We’re happy to say that we’ve placed several female software engineers across many companies, and we continue to do so.
Are you a female engineer looking for a new Scala role, or a tech company looking for talent? Get in touch with hello@umatr.io and work with us today. At UMATR, as tech recruiters, we are committed to helping you find your dream role, or finding your ideal talent Because You Matter.