Women in Tech: Industry, Leadership, and Job Transition

Increasing gender diversity and encouraging women into the tech sector has been a topic in the news for many years, yet women still remain largely under-represented in IT and Tech focused industries.

Data from a 2020 Humi HR report shows that only 30% of the tech workforce are women. While still disproportionately low, it is encouraging to see that this has grown since 2019 when the statistic showed 25% at the time – which indicates momentum in the right direction. Additionally, only 21% of Canadian companies feature women in C-Suite roles.

At TRIYO, we understand the importance and value of increasing diversity in the workplace and want to encourage more women to join the tech industry.

I recently had the pleasure to have a sit-down chat with Pooja, Chief of Operations at TRIYO, to discuss her tech journey, advice and experience to help put the spotlight on current and future female tech directors. Here are a couple of things I picked up in our conversation:

Before entering a new industry, it may be a good idea to polish up your existing skills.

For decades, Pooja spent the majority of her career working in finance where she held leadership positions in businesses, profitability, and people. Though she may not understand the tech jargon completely, the skills and expertise she brings to the table aid in communicating with and understanding her tech colleagues, and also make her an integral part of the company.

It is always good to do your research and a bit of learning on your own before entering a new industry. While learning plays a big part in the journey, doing homework beforehand can help with some conversations you may have down the road. Thanks to a couple of computing courses at university, Pooja was able to understand the logic behind building software, which helped her launch her own startup in the tech space. “ This was a huge learning curve in terms of technology and entrepreneurship,” Pooja said.

Transitioning into a gendered role/industry would be intimidating for everyone, but it is not as scary as it seems! In Pooja’s experience, she explained that she had been working in male-dominated industries for years before she entered the tech space – and her experience so far has been quite positive. She expressed that although she does not see many female faces in tech, there has always been a sense of respect for diversity, experience, and opinion.

Lastly, it is important to be open to challenges and obstacles that may come your way in your transitional journey. You may find the culture in tech to be different from what you are used to, or the language used in the office to be unfamiliar. But as long as you keep an open mind and make the effort to learn – there is nothing that will stop you on your road to success!

Hopefully, these tips sparked inspiration in women to fearlessly join tech and leadership roles!

Interested in seeing more of Pooja? Navigate through our website to learn more about how she built this company with our co-founders.