Ally Watson is a developer at award winning Glasgow based digital design agency, Screenmedia.
Firstly, can you give a brief description of what you do at Screenmedia?
At Screenmedia I am involved in the specification, development and maintenance of a number of Umbraco CMS driven websites. As part of this role I also conduct training sessions with our clients. An average (productive) day for me at the ‘meedja’ will consist of 1000 lines of code, 3 cups of tea and a few too many Kit-Kats.
Were you intimidated by entering what is still considered to be a male dominated industry?
Big time. I can’t deny that when I first started my career I had a very big chip on my shoulder and felt I had a lot to prove because I was a girl. This personal vendetta gradually withered with the help from all the fantastic developers I met along the way. No one ever treated me different and the best thing I’ve learned is to never be afraid to ask for help. Let your insecurities go and just ask because people, male or female, are always willing to help you and no one will ever judge you for it.
Did you feel like it was male dominated or has the male/female ratio been relatively equal in your experience?
In my third year at University there were about 80 people in my class. 5 of them were girls.
My first job as a graduate software developer I was the only female developer and only female in my side of the building. To put that into perspective there was about 60 men on our side of the building, 40 of those were developers.
Screenmedia has been the first place I’ve worked where the odds have started to even out.
When did you decide that you wanted to be a Developer and what influenced your decision?
When I run into old childhood friends they are often surprised at my career choice. When I was younger I loved all things creative and fancied a career in fine art. However I could never leave my lust for problem solving and mathematics behind. All the drawing and painting couldn’t satisfy the analytical side of my brain. So one day I decided to apply for a degree in Computing Science at Glasgow University. For about the first 6 months I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. It wasn’t until I took a class in Human Computer Interaction that I knew I had a place in this industry. I realised that being a developer required more than just code, code and more code. It required psychology and well thought out design and it was that moment that I realised it was the perfect fit for me.
What do you think could/should be done to get more women into the technology industry?
So making a “Computer Engineer” Barbie was definitely a nice attempt at getting girls on our side but it’s really not enough. I feel if youngsters got more exposure to the kind of jobs out there and creative environments they could work in then I think more girls would aspire to have a career in technology.
I’ve even considered myself getting more involved in the cause and making visits to schools. Even to spend 5 minutes with a girl like-minded as myself to tell her about the opportunities out there and roles that could suit her skill set would be so worthwhile.
We need to get rid of the stigma that it’s a geek-fest. I’m a girl who loves shopping, baking, arts and crafts and I couldn’t be happier being a developer. It’s not just for World Of Warcraft lovers!
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Polly Purvis is Executive Director of ScotlandIS – the expert voice that supports the success of Scotland’s ICT industry.
Were you intimidated by entering what is still considered to be a male dominated industry?
Not at all – I didn’t see it as an issue and whilst the industry needs many more women I have never felt that being a woman has been a disadvantage in my career.
Did you feel like it was male dominated or has the male/female ratio been relatively equal in your experience?
There’s no doubt that the industry has too few women in it, but many technology companies have women working in a wide range of roles. However there’s still a lot more to do to address the gender imbalance.
When did you decide to focus on a career in IT and what attracted you to the industry?
I didn’t – I ‘stumbled’ into by chance having worked in financial services and economic development previously, but I’ve loved every minute – it’s a very exciting, fast paced industry with lots of fascinating people working in it.
Executive Director of ScotlandIS is an incredibly impressive achievement. What has been your personal greatest achievement in this role?
ScotlandIS role is to promote the industry and it’s very much a team effort. We’re building our membership and campaigning on skills, procurement and the value of the digital economy. Ask me again in a couple of years?
What do you think could/should be done to get more women into the technology industry?
I think the time has come for some positive discrimination – recent evidence shows that companies with women in senior roles are more profitable[1] so this should be a straightforward business decision. We need a programme that encourages women to give serious consideration to careers in the industry, starting at schools, in college and university as well as seeking to attract women from other industries.
[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/women-make-companies-more-successful-2012-10
We’d love to hear more opinions on the industry – so whether you’re a woman working in the technology, a graduate looking for a job in the industry (male or female) or an employer (again, male or female) who would like to comment on the topic, please get in touch! Email christina@enigmapeople.com if you’d like to get involved.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to make it in the IT industry, send your CV to dmains@enigmapeople.com or ramassa@enigmapeople.com
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