Several reports worldwide emphasise the extent of women’s contribution to the workforce and how they are of economic importance. Women in IT, however, face multiple challenges, including finding better opportunities, overcoming gender bias, or taking career breaks.
Having one-on-one conversations with the candidates to understand their success and challenges is a unique way to bridge the gap between recruiters and candidates. We recently held a CandidateConnect webinar targeted at women in technology and their challenges. We thank everyone who participated in our event and is grateful for the support we have received. We acknowledge your career aspirations. We are confident that your experience, skills, and commitment will result in success. Let’s stay connected!
Our recruiters got the chance to speak with some passionate women in IT, and here are some of their stories. Everyone had a different story about their job search and struggle to get their dream job.
Pravallika:
This was my first event. I hope that I did my best. I spoke with several candidates to understand their challenges. The experience was certainly worthwhile. I talked to a woman who had recently immigrated to Australia. She is an excellent Salesforce Technical resource. The woman asked several questions about her job search and needed help creating the right profile. In addition to sharing my suggestions on how to build her professional profile, I also suggested connecting with relevant professional networks. I also recommended online courses, professional groups, and certifications during COVID for better opportunities.
“Personal Connection” Shilpa
One of the candidates shared her journey, which touched my heart. Upon her arrival in Australia in September 2019, she brought a wealth of IT experience in testing and multiple skills across software development and quality assurance. When she arrived, she began exploring IT jobs but couldn’t find a suitable position. As part of her effort to get the job, she contacted recruiters, applied for new roles, and joined meetup groups. Despite enrolling in new courses to upgrade her skills, managing family expenses became difficult since she moved with her family. So, she decided to start with any job that would come her way – part-time, volunteer, or casual which was a massive compromise for her.
COVID- 19 pandemic had further worsened the situation, as she was finding it more difficult to even get into an interview. She has been part of our last three CandidateConnect sessions, and she enrols every time to get fresh advice from recruiters and implement them in her search.
“Back in the Game” Isha
Like always, it was a fantastic experience where I connected with some very talented women. Some were on student visas and looking for part-time work; others had different experience levels. Here is the story of one such candidate actively seeking employment. The candidate is a permanent resident based in Sydney. She moved to Australia three years ago with 13 years of experience as a System/Business Analyst. She took a maternity break for a few months, and when she started looking for an opportunity, she struggled for a year to secure a suitable role.
Meanwhile, she took on a short-term contract to cover maternity leave for someone else. Now that the contract is over, she is back in the job market and struggling to find a role that suits her skills and interests. I guided and motivated her as much as I could. I suggested updating her LinkedIn profile with relevant experience and mentioning that she is open to opportunities, reaching out to recruiters for a chat, updating her skills during lockdown via Pluralsight, Udemy, etc., attending meetups as many are online, participating in webinars as they provide good information. Consider taking some professional courses. In addition, I recommended keeping her Seek, Indeed, and LinkedIn profiles in sync so recruiters/companies can access them all. At the end of the call, she thanked us for driving this event and helping her to find her dream job, which boosted my energy to help more such candidates.
“Australian Market is Different” Ruchika
Thanks to all the candidates who participated in the CandidateConnect session. It was a wonderful experience to get into their shoes and understand their problems.
Helping them to become much more visible in the Australian market and to improve their chances of getting their resumes shortlisted was an emotional experience. I would be happy to stay in touch and help in any way I can in the future.
“A Woman’s Journey” Ananya
This was one of the most awaited session. I spoke to someone who was struggling for a suitable job after a 2 years’ break due to her movement across countries along with her family. She was delighted when I reached out to her when she really needed it. Settling in Australia took time and she could not get a suitable opportunity, being an experienced Business Analyst. She was unable to pursue her job search actively due to the confusion and realization that the job market and expectations have changed since her last job.
Getting back takes work. Women go through a series of self-doubts as they contemplate returning to work. “Will I get an interview call?”, “will my profile get due attention?”, “will I be able to balance my work and other household responsibilities”, “will I be treated with the same respect after my break?” are some of the common ones.
These are the stories of resilient, determined, confident, strong-willed women who want to return to the job market. We, as recruitment consultants, are responsible for facilitating and highlighting the skills of candidates that make them an excellent match for an organisation. Of course, women in IT face multiple issues that cannot be overlooked. As a community, we must unite to make a better place for women who can pave the way for future generations.
