Why women don’t need to be daunted by a job in the IT sector

[caption id="attachment_135" align="alignleft" width="128"] Hannah Jinks, Customer Services Operative[/caption] Entanet’s Customer Services Operative, Hannah Jinks, tells us why she thinks IT doesn’t need to be just a man’s world any more... It’s common knowledge that more needs to be done to attract more women into the IT sector, as the Harvey Nash / KPMG Chief Information Officer (CIO) Survey 2017 highlights, despite a lot of improvement happening to address a gender pay gap in IT in recent years the number of women in IT leadership roles is still just NINE percent! It is very easy to think of IT as a male dominated industry. But, just because this has been the case previously doesn’t mean it always has to be that way. I was the only female apprentice in the cohort when I joined Entanet, which at first was a bit daunting, but the most important thing is to gain experience and learn from those around you because there is so much opportunity out there in the sector. Opening up more work experience opportunities and mentoring alongside experienced women in the industry would be a really good way to breakdown the misconceptions women looking at an IT career may have and drive up the level of interest in job opportunities in the sector. I believe there are more opportunities than ever before out there for women in IT and creating an environment where women can gain experience whilst drawing from the skills, experience and knowledge of others who have been on a similar journey is a great way to open up the sector to more talented women. As I’ve spent more time working in an IT environment I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of talented women including Entanet’s CEO Elsa Chen my line manager, Lynn Lee, who is the Customer Service Manager and Kate Turner who is our team leader. Having a predominantly female reporting line has been really inspirational for me and being able to learn from so much experience and expertise is really important for any young woman starting out in her career. I didn’t think I’d ever work for a company like Entanet, I wasn’t technically minded and IT wasn’t a hobby of mine which is what I think most women feel they need to be able to get a job in this sector. But now, I can genuinely say I love my job and have developed a real interest in connectivity...if I can do it then there is no reason why other young women can’t too! If you’d like to find out more about the current opportunities Entanet has to join it’s rapidly growing team, visit our careers page . We’re also proud to announce that Hannah has been shortlisted for the CRN Women in Channel award for ‘Graduate/Apprentice of the Year’. We wish her every luck in the awards which will be announced in October. Have your say! Has your business had success in encouraging more women into the sector? And what more do you think can be done to encourage more talented women to pursue a career in IT? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Related articles

• Entanet Opinion Blog: “You’re hired” – How apprenticeships can help develop your business

Further Information

• CIO.co.uk: 2018 CIO 100 gender diversity tracks above tech sector average for all IT roles for first time
• Entanet website: Careers