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Between Bumble\u2019s Whitney Wolfe Herd becoming the world\u2019s youngest self-made woman billionaire<\/a>, and Kristina Ashley Williams\u2019 new company unpacking<\/a> receiving a grant from Beyonc\u00e9 herself, the tech world has been taken by storm by trailblazing women. But despite the industry\u2019s evolution over the last decade, there\u2019s still work to be done\u2014both in terms of getting more women into tech jobs, and creating safer, more inclusive workplaces.<\/p>\n According to builtin<\/a>, only 26% of tech-related jobs were occupied by women in 2020, and only 34.4% women<\/a> make up the workforce of the five largest tech companies on the planet (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft). Change is on the horizon, but the solution is clear: we need more women in tech.<\/p>\n While the current statistics paint a pessimistic picture, they shouldn\u2019t deter you\u2014or anyone\u2014from pursuing a career in tech. No matter your gender, age, or background, it all boils down to your passion, and the quality of your work. But don\u2019t just take it from us.<\/p>\n To showcase just how fulfilling a career in tech can be, we rounded up three inspiring stories from CareerFoundry alumnae who overcame all roadblocks to forge fulfilling careers for themselves in tech.<\/p>\n It\u2019s commonly thought that previous tech-related experience is a prerequisite for a successful career in tech. We wholeheartedly disagree\u2014just ask Julie Marx<\/a>, an opera singer turned UX designer currently based in Munich.<\/p>\n Having relocated to Germany for her opera career, Julie began supplementing her job at the Munich Opera with odd-jobs, like bartending. It wasn\u2019t long before she came to a realization: she didn\u2019t want to be an opera singer anymore.<\/p>\n After a spot of soul searching, Julie decided her next step would be graphic design. She\u2019d always been interested in art, so it made sense (or so she thought). She quickly realized that graphic design wasn\u2019t the missing piece she\u2019d been looking for, so she once again took to the drawing board. This time, she came across something completely new: UX design.<\/p>\n \u201cI liked making digital designs, but when I researched graphic design, I realized it involved a lot of pixel pushing. When I learned more about UX design, I was especially intrigued by the analytical side. It merges the creative side that I\u2019ve always had with the analytical skills I\u2019d developed as a musician.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Julie enrolled in our UX Design Program<\/a> alongside maintaining some part-time jobs. When she found herself with additional time due to the Covid-19 lockdown, she poured her all into the material\u2014and relished the experience, citing the bespoke, individualized feedback she got from her tutor as a driver for her progression throughout the program.<\/p>\n Upon completion, Julie landed a six-month UX design internship after applying via LinkedIn\u2014and joined as the team\u2019s second designer. Impressed with her CareerFoundry projects, her new team got her stuck in straight away with creating wireframes and user flows for the product\u2019s app redesign. Three months into her internship, Julie\u2019s team were so impressed with her work that they promoted her to UX designer!<\/p>\n The moral of the story? Never let your lack of experience deter you from switching careers. It\u2019s all about what you bring to the table, not what you\u2019ve done in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cI was definitely nervous at first. It\u2019s all-new, and I felt like I had to prove myself. But back when I was an opera singer, I never felt like it was my environment or my people. Here in UX, even though I\u2019m new, I feel totally in the right place.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You can read Julie\u2019s full career change story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n With data analytics emerging as one of the hot new tech jobs in 2021, we\u2019ve eagerly awaited the first cohort of CareerFoundry\u2019s new Data Analytics Program<\/a>\u2014and were bowled over at the news that data student Elizabeth had already launched her data career a mere four months<\/strong> after starting the program. How did she go from Starbucks barista to full-time data analyst on a military base? Commitment, positivity, and (of course) hard work.<\/p>\n Having worked at Starbucks for six years, Elizabeth felt ready for a change\u2014preferably something that would put her mathematics degree to better use. Faced with unemployment in the pandemic, she decided it was time to take her future into her own hands, and enrolled in CareerFoundry\u2019s Data Analytics Program. For Elizabeth, a career in data analytics would allow her to work with numbers while getting creative with visualizations. It felt like the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n Four months into the program, Elizabeth applied for a role as a data analyst on a military base. Two phone interviews later, she was hired! She now works on one of the largest bases in the U.S., and uses data to identify issues and areas for improvement.<\/p>\n What stands out about Elizabeth\u2019s story is her unshakeable determination to make the switch. When considering a career change, we can spend months ruminating over all the \u2018if\u2019s\u2019 and \u2018but\u2019s\u2019, and imagining all the ways we can fail. Elizabeth envisioned a different path for herself, and made her vision come true. So can you!<\/p>\n \u201cI know sometimes when you\u2019re debating something, you can\u2019t help thinking \u2018Oh, will it work out?\u2019 \u2018Should I do it?\u2019 But, if you\u2019re not happy in your current job, I think you should just go ahead and take a leap of faith.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n To read Elizabeth\u2019s full career change story, head here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ewa<\/a> is no stranger to the concept of wearing multiple hats. Having worked previously in PR and marketing, it was an e-commerce role that introduced her to UX design. Acting on a suggestion from her manager that she should start taking on more UX-related responsibilities, Ewa decided to solidify her skills and enroll in CareerFoundry\u2019s Intro to UX Design Course<\/a>. Upon completion, she landed a job as a UX designer in a startup\u2014but enrolled in the full UX Design Program while learning the ropes of her new role. Studying while working isn\u2019t an easy feat, and as she writes in her medium article<\/a>, time management was vital for making it work.<\/p>\n While settling into her first UX design role, Ewa discovered she had a knack (and a passion) for understanding the real needs of the clients and users. Soon after, she left her company and landed a new role at a software house in her homeland of Poland. Here, she was able to act on her passion for communicating with multiple clients at one time. She began leading workshops with clients and stakeholders, and realized that talking to the client and validating the concept was her strong suit. The obvious next step became clear: UX strategy.<\/p>\n As a UX strategist, Ewa\u2019s role involves a lot of decision-making. She plays a core role in the product\u2019s evolution, and, as you could imagine, it\u2019s not always smooth sailing.<\/p>\n \u201cLeading workshops means being a skilled moderator. You have three people in a room who are responsible for a product, and even though they want to build the same product, they have vastly different opinions. I have to be the one that takes their views into account and produces the best possible solution. Sometimes I have to find a way to moderate with some of the toughest negotiators\u2014people can be very emotional about their product. You have to know how to talk to people, mediate, and manage expectations in a way that makes everyone in the room feel heard.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ewa\u2019s story is a testament to the importance of carving out your own space in tech. Sure, she could\u2019ve stagnated as a UX designer\u2014but she wanted more, and she went for it. There\u2019s no cookie-cutter formula to forging a career in tech; the key is to never stop learning and honing your craft. Read her full career change story in this article.<\/a><\/p>\n Hopefully, these three stories inspire you to go after your goals. If you\u2019re a woman considering a career in tech, go for it! There\u2019s space in the industry for everyone\u2014and the more diverse backgrounds we bring to the scene, the better the industry will become.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What’s it really like being new to the tech scene as a woman? 3 inspiring alumnae tell all…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":""},"class_list":["post-16426","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"meta_title":"Three Inspiring Women On The Reality Of Breaking Into Tech","meta_description":"We hear from three inspiring alumnae on their journeys into tech\u2014and how you can do it, too.","meta_image":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1199998060429117-gaxofykvpuhvezbfxnie-height640-1.png","magazine_header_text":"Take the first step in transforming your career and start learning Design or Development for free today!","magazine_buttons_header":"Click on the topic that interests you most","header_image":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/header_banner-404.png","cookie_contact_set_magazine_header_text":"Curious about becoming a UI designer? 5-10 months is all it takes\u2014find out how by speaking to your program advisor today.","cookie_contact_set_magazine_buttons_header":"Click below to arrange your call \u2013 it only takes two minutes!","embeds_code":"Julie Marx, Munich, UX designer at reev<\/h4>\n
Elizabeth Decker, San Antonio, TX, data analyst at JLMI\/data analytics tutor at CareerFoundry<\/h4>\n
Ewa Mie\u017cwi\u0144ska, Warsaw, UX strategist at Panowie Programi\u015bci<\/h4>\n