Women – the digital industry needs you!

Gender representation in particular within the digital and media industries has been a hot topic of late, with much debate around diversity and inequalities within this thriving workforce. Although digital is a progressive industry that encourages equal opportunities and embraces talent rather than gender, many believe there are too few skilled female professionals.

There are gender imbalance issues across many industries, however as the digital industry is facing a massive skills shortage, perhaps more females pursuing a career in the sector is part of the solution. For example joining courses such as BSc Business Information Technology, MSc Digital Marketing or Law in Media and Digital Industries.

Here at The Candidate, we commissioned research to investigate gender representation within the thriving digital industry. Our study of 150 digital agencies in the North of England, found there were almost twice as many men employed than women. In addition, we found that there is a severe lack of females in management roles, with 156 per cent more men taking up these jobs. The situation is more severe at senior management level, with just 18 out of the 150 businesses involved in the research headed up by women.

Results revealed that a huge proportion of the women that are currently working in digital tend to be in ‘soft skills’ roles, such as PR, marketing and social media as opposed to technical and analytical positions.

So, what is preventing women from taking up careers in this sector?

Gender and social stereotypes: From an early age we are presented with idea that technology is geeky, from children’s cartoons to story books, the characters that are associated with computers and science usually fit a certain criteria; wears glasses, awkward behavior etc. e.g. Velma from Scooby Doo.

Velma from Scooby Doo (CC) by Adam D.

More needs to be done to alter young peoples’ perceptions, to encourage them to be interested in technology and make it more appealing.

Preconception that tech is dull – There is a preconception that a career in digital is dull, whereas in reality it’s an exciting and innovative industry to be a part of. Shilpa Shah, a director at Deloitte and leader of the company’s Women in Technology network says

“Because technology affects everything, working in it means you can see the effects of what you do quicker than in most other jobs. So it’s far from dull.”

Unawareness of job opportunities – There are a number of things that influence a person’s career choices including parents, school and society. As digital is a relatively new industry as opposed to medicine, law and teaching, there isn’t much emphasis from influencers to pursue a career in this sector. Maggie Berry, Managing Director of Women in Technology, says many young people and adults are unaware of roles within technology and what these jobs entail.

Prof Broderick making history – the first woman to address the Abu Dhabi Police Force (ADPF).

Lack of female role models – Although there are more women entering the world of digital and becoming successful, the number of male role models outweighs females significantly. When we think of the powerful digital companies such as, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook etc. they are all founded by men so it’s easy to associate success with the opposite sex.

So what things can students do to forge a career in digital?

Self-teach – There is a massive skills shortage in the digital sector, so if you have a passion for digital and you’re motivated enough – why not teach yourself some sought after skills? You might not necessarily want to pursue a career in website development, but if you want to work in a digital environment an understanding of coding will go a long way. There are hundreds of blogs and video tutorials as well as clubs to get you on your way.

You’re going to learn a lot quicker and have more fun if you pair your learning with something else that you love. Pick something that you’re passionate about and then start a blog! Set yourself goals to increase traffic and engagement, improve your content development skills and SEO technique! Managing a personal blog can work wonders on your CV, check out Laura’s story, an Online Marketing Consultant who secured her job at an award winning agency through her blogging skills.

Consider networking groups – If you’re interested in pursuing a career in digital, look for events, meet-ups and conferences happening in your area. You can find these online using websites such as Eventbrite or see if you have a local trade association such as Manchester Digital – an organisation dedicated to promoting the digital industry in the North West. To encourage students to participate, events often reserve a number of free or discounted tickets for you.

Build your profile – If you want to get ahead in digital, it’s advisable to have a good online presence. One of the first places employers look when they are recruiting is LinkedIn, make sure you have a profile and it’s up to date. LinkedIn is a great tool for connecting with potential employers, colleagues and classmates, use it to share your achievements and join in conversations. Twitter is another essential channel for building your profile and identifying job opportunities. Join in conversations, share things you believe to be of value and watch your followers grow.

Understand analytics – You don’t have to be a maths wiz to work in digital, but having an understanding of analytics and the ability to interpret data will go a long way. Analytics will play a part in your job, whether that’s under pinning your project or reporting on the performance of your campaign depending on if you end up working in digital media, marketing, PR or web development.

Gain work experience – In the fast-paced and hands-on industry that is digital, it’s invaluable to gain real life work experience before graduating from university. Depending on your circumstances you might want to volunteer half a day per week within a business, or look for a three month summer internship programme.

MSc Marketing graduate, Marta Rodriguez in permanent position after a work placement

Some university courses offer sandwich year options, which allow students to complete a one year work placement or an internship before completing their final stage of studies. Here Martha Rodriguez is a perfect example of this – she took a Digital Marketing intership whilst studying for her MSc Marketing and she is now in a permanent position at the same company – UKtights. Not to mention she also won a prestigious award for her impact on the digital marketing effectiveness of her host company.

Work experience really does work wonders on your CV, it shows employers that you’re motivated, proactive and reliable, whilst giving you something to take about in job interviews.

If you’re hoping to forge a career in digital, check out The Candidate website, there are a number of blogs, guides and online resources with career and job hunting advice.