Critical Careers - Women Building Careers in Digital Infrastructure - Book - Page 83
“We created
the space and the
community shaped
what it became.”
What shifts still need to happen at an
industry level to ensure long-term progress
for women in this sector?
The industry simply needs to communicate better and be more clear and
consistent for a much wider audience.
There’s a real gap in understanding for people outside the industry
who might be considering it. Too often, it’s seen as purely technical or
engineering-led, and while those roles are incredibly important, they’re
only one part of the picture. There are so many different entry points
into the industry and we simply need to get better at telling that story.
Showing that there isn’t just one path in, and that you don’t have to 昀椀t a
speci昀椀c mould to be successful here.
I also think we need to start that conversation much earlier. We can’t just
rely on people discovering the industry later in their careers. It has to be
about engaging with schools, universities, and early talent pipelines. We
need to help young people understand what opportunities exist before
they’ve already chosen a different path.
There’s also work to do in how the industry is perceived more broadly.
There are a lot of misconceptions about what we do, and that can put
people off before they’ve even had a chance to explore it properly.
Creating more openness and transparency with more accessible
conversations is key.
The other important shift is recognising that careers don’t have to be
linear. If someone comes into the industry and realises a role isn’t quite
what they expected, that’s okay. There should be space to move, to
pivot, to 昀椀nd the right 昀椀t because we want people to build long-term
careers here.
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