Opinion
ultimately help make the industry an
equal playing field.
While my experience has been that of
a woman in tech, the tips I’ve learned
from running Triangirls will resonate
with anyone who considers themselves
a minority in the industry.
WHEN JOB HUNTING...
Apply for jobs you don’t feel qualified for
It’s a pretty well-known fact these days
that a woman will apply for a role when
they meet all of the criteria, whereas men
tend to apply if they meet a few. This is a
great way to ensure you’re matched to a
potential candidate with the same skills
but also is a great way to push yourself
and improve your interviewing game.
Don’t tell recruiters your current salary,
they don’t need to know.
WHEN NEGOTIATING
SALARY...
Don’t settle for less
There’s often a pot of money set aside as
businesses expect some negotiation on
salary, so it’s always worth asking. The
worst they can say is no. And don’t budge
on the salary you had in mind, talk
yourself down as it’s ‘your dream job’ or
‘the per fect location’. Stick to your guns.
Keep a r unn ing l ist of your ac hie vements
Over your review period, jot down any
time you think you’ve excelled in the
workplace. No one else w i l l do this for you
and it’s always a struggle to remember if
you wait until the day before your review.
WHEN SEEKING A
PROMOTION...
Ask for one ahead of time
Tell your boss as soon as you start to think
about promotion; don’t wait until review
time. Doing this means they can be
prepared when it comes to your review.
They can either have the necessary
conversations with the people they need
to or prepare a plan of what you need to
do over your next review period.
Find role models and follow their lead
It’s hard to picture yourself mov ing up at
work if you don’t have any role models
Recruit from a wider talent base
Hire more diverse talent and pay them
equally. The diverse talent is out there; it
means you have a wider pool to choose
from and it’s proven that it’s better for
business too.Be a sponsor
T his is a great w ay to give your col leag ues
the leg up they might need. Women with
sponsors go on to be promoted but also
they can receive backlash when they self-
promote, which can be mistaken for
aggression. An easy way to help is to say
when your colleagues do a good job and,
even better, let their manager know.Inspire young women in your life
A recent article found career ambitions
can be limited by the age of just seven.
We all have a duty to show younger
generations that they really can have
successful careers in tech.you can see yourself in. If there are no
senior women in your company, seek
them out elsewhere. Go to events, find
them on Twitter and maybe even ask them
to be your mentor...Seek out a mentor
This is a great way to help further your
career. Seek out a more experienced
mentor to give you adv ice or even connect
you with the right person to advise you
on specific topics. You’re never too junior
or too senior to have a mentor.Seek out a sponsor
Sponsorship is responsible for 20 per
cent of promotion and the more senior
your sponsor the faster you will be able
to get promoted. Find someone at work
who’ll champion you when promotions
are discussed.HOW WE CAN MAKE TECH
AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD
If you’re lucky enough to not identify as
a minorit y in tech or if you’re in a position
of privilege then there’s a lot you can do
to help make our industry fairer:PROFILE
Grocott is a product designer at Geckoboard
(www.geckoboard.com) and also co-founded
Triangirls with Anna Youngs..
w: https://www.triangirls.com