The place of women in the world
On the occasion of International Women's Rights Day, we're taking the opportunity to highlight a subject close to our hearts: the place of women in the tech world.
Three of our consultants were interviewed for the occasion. In a field sometimes perceived as "masculine", they wanted to break down prejudices.
Their backgrounds, passions and advice offer an inspiring insight into the diversity of opportunities encountered and developments experienced by women in the tech industry and, more specifically, the Digital Product.
Read the testimonials of Laëtitia, Manon and Mylène!
LAËTITIA - Functional tester
Tell us about your background.
My career path began in a service provider company in Bordeaux, where I initially worked as a UX/UI specialist, notably in mock-up design. I then progressed to Project Manager. When I moved to Paris, I joined the 5 Degrés team as a Functional Tester.
What do you love about your job?
What I love most about my job is being responsible for the final quality of the product. It's our responsibility to say "it's OK, everything's OK, we're ready to go". I enjoy giving the final green light.
What advice would you give to people wishing to start a career in quality assurance?
There is no specific training to become a Tester, but there are courses available once you're in the business, such as the ISTQB, for example. In the beginning, it's essential to be rigorous and to take the time to fully understand all aspects of the job.
Being a woman in Product Quality :
Over the years, IT has opened up to women, and all-male teams have become rare. Since I joined 5D, I've always been involved in missions with gender parity. In my current team, there are four of us, two men and two women. Quality assurance is less associated with the technical image of IT, which partly explains the more frequent presence of women in this field.
MANON - Python Developer
Tell us about your background.
I graduated with a degree in bioinformatics and systems biology, initially with a focus on pharmaceutical or agricultural biology. What fascinated me most during my training was programming. In my career, I have specialized in Python development.
What do you love about your job?
What I'm passionate about is the mathematical aspect. This may come as a surprise, as it's not what people generally think of programming. Solving problems with many possible solutions is what makes my job so captivating.
What advice would you give to people wishing to start a career in Product Development?
You have to dare to take the plunge! In the course of a career, there are many possible paths, and I'm perhaps the best example.
Being a woman in tech:
I've never had any trouble fitting in with a team. Although the majority of my colleagues are male, I've never felt discriminated against, which makes my job very enjoyable. However, we have to be realistic: some development-related professions have yet to achieve real gender equality. It's a shame that many women don't consider development as an option when they study, as stereotypes are still very much present. It's up to us, women developers, to show the new generation just how incredible our profession is.
MYLÈNE - Practice Leader Product Data and Data Analyst
Tell us about your background.
I began my career with a Master's degree in MIAGE (Master of Computer Methods Applied to Business Management) at Université Paris Saclay, where I acquired skills in programming, statistics and the professional world. Thanks to my encounters at meet-ups, I discovered new methods of data analysis, in particular data visualization.
What do you love about your job?
My work is my real passion. There are a multitude of fields, such as energy, finance and media, where I can work in different roles such as Data Analyst, Data Engineer or Data Scientist. With experience, you can combine these roles.
What advice would you give to people wishing to start a career in Product Data?
I recommend training in tools such as Power BI, SQL and Talend, and acquiring methods and best practices. Mastering services within a company facilitates communication throughout an assignment. Data is a major issue in the marketplace for decision-making and business management. It is also important to develop qualities such as adaptability, curiosity and rigor.
Being a woman in tech:
Personally, I've never had any problems integrating into the Data teams. I'm currently working in IT support for a bank, a sector that's supposed to be largely male-dominated, but I'm delighted to see that more and more women are joining our teams. For example, in my current project team, responsible for producing indicators to manage the business, there are four of us: three women and one man.
All my experiences inspire me to want to change perceptions about IT careers. I'd like to get involved in schools to present these careers and break down the stereotypes associated with this field. IT is more than just a cliché, and it's important to show that it's not just men who excel in it.
It's high time to to deconstruct stereotypes
The testimonies of Laëtitia, Manon and Mylène show that, contrary to popular belief, the Tech field is no longer exclusively masculine. Their experience also proves that more and more women are finding their place in the world of digital products.
At 5 Degrés, we pay particular attention to equal opportunities, and our teams bear witness to this vision: 45% of our positions are now held by women, and 50% of our Managers are women.
