Johannesburg, 22 Aug 2018
At the College of Cape Town and On the Ball College's recent Women in ICT Seminar, a group of women currently working in the local IT space shared their tips for achieving success and outlined some of the challenges they face in a typically male-dominated industry.
Grace Sikhosana from CompTIA, Microsoft's Megan Jacobs and Farhaana Allie of African Ideas, agreed that achieving success is all about improving yourself, continuously. "Success isn't a point you reach and it's done. We all reach certain milestones and then we have to find new ways to grow and move forward," said Jacobs.
She stressed that failure is inevitable. Getting over these hurdles is about not getting too caught up in a single idea of success, but rather defining what success is for you, as an individual. Sikhosana explained that as a young person in the industry, she viewed her challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. "Success is about using each milestone and each setback as an opportunity to grow and be better."
"When I walk into a packed boardroom, people often expect me to be the one making photocopies or making the tea. They're shocked when I take a seat at the head of the table," said Allie, adding that when women are at the top of their game, they need to be prepared for this kind of thing. "Successful women must do enough research so that when they walk into a room full of men, and they're already at a disadvantage, they know what they're talking about. And if you don't know about something, say so and then go and find out."
While the City of Cape Town's Elizabeth Walters admitted that having technical skills is important, she noted these proficiencies can be taught to employees quite easily. With over two decades of experience in the skills development space, she explained there is an increased focus on soft skills, like teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making, and she encouraged women looking to enter the tech space to nurture these skills. Given the challenges women face in getting a seat at the table, Walters also highlighted the importance of networking. "We have found that in about 80% of cases, your first job will be secured because of someone that you know," she said.
A theme that carried across the entire discussion was how valuable it is for women to have an understanding of IT and tech even if they have no intention of working in strictly technical fields. For Kim Palmer, from On the Ball College, this is because digital technologies and IT tools are moving into every industry, from transport and tourism all the way to healthcare. "It doesn't matter what field you want to work in, take ICT with you. I'm not saying you need to become a systems engineer. But, if we all take IT with us into our respective sectors, we can make big changes in the way things are done across broader society." IT is becoming more and more ingrained in different sectors and the fourth industrial revolution will see IT touching a variety of spheres across all areas of our lives, the panel agreed.
Offering advice for young women looking to venture into the ICT space, Jacobs concluded: "Be the best version of yourself you can be. Do the best you can with what you have until you know better, and once you know better, do better."
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The 6 August 2018 event was the second Women In ICT Seminar to be held by On The Ball College.
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