IT's not just for the boys!

Posted on: 22 February 2023 by Samantha Riella in Student experiences

Gayathri Sajeendra, a second year BSc Computer Science student, tells us more about the event "IT's not just for the boys!" organised by TargetJobs UK.

Introduce yourself!

Hi, I'm Gayathri Sajeendra a second year BSc Computer Science student at the University of Liverpool. I am currently actively looking for tech placements/internships and career development opportunities for my year in industry.

What was the event you attended and what did you do?

Recently I attended the event "IT's not just for the boys!" organised by TargetJobs UK. We started the day with breakfast provided by Booking.com, whilst getting to know the other participants. We then heard from Sarah Al-Hawi, a Senior Test Engineer at Booking.com regarding her personal experience as a woman in tech.

I worked on a team challenge with my group where we were mentored by a BNY Mellon recruiter. It was a fun experience, solving the case study and pitching it together and we also received feedback.

After lunch, I attended 2 'How to get Hired' sessions from BNY Mellon and Booking.com, where I had the chance to hear what roles they had open what they look for in candidates. Afterwards it was grad networking, speaking with the employers recent grads and getting advice from them about how they got on their grad schemes.

The Panel Q&A was last, where we got to hear from:

• Denise Graham (Head of Workplace Technology, BNY Mellon)
• Charlotte Bella (Senior Product Manager, Booking.com)
• Lauren Corderoy (Quality Engineer, Capital One)
• Charlotte Walters (Senior Manager, Software Engineering, Discover)
• Yasmin De Nardo (Head of Connected Technology Academy, KPMG)
• Jennifer Warren (Software Engineering Manager, Sky)

How did you find the event and what did you learn?

I found this opportunity while applying for a placement on the TargetJobs website.

I learnt that women are under-represented in the Tech World and they are just 16% of the total IT professionals. Surprisingly, the representation remains almost the same for the last 10 years. As per the research done by pwc.uk, this gender gap starts at school and carries forward through college and careers. The only way to overcome this disparity is to encourage and help girls to study technology subjects like computer science and software.

I also learnt that in in-person coding interviews, make sure to talk through your reasoning out loud, so the staff can work out how you analyse and troubleshoot the problem on hand and that some companies provide HackerRank tests to assess your base knowledge.

What are some top skills you’ve picked up after the day?

It was a great opportunity to meet and connect with like-minded graduates from different universities. I also met several women professionals from the tech world (Booking.com, KMPG, Capital One, Discover Financial Services, Sky and BNY Mellon) and had an insight into their tech life and challenges they face.

There is no doubt the top skill that we can pick up by attending such events is networking skills.

I received tips in improving hire ability. Here is the takeaway:

1. Keep your CV clear and concise
2. Importance of evidence in your CV to show you're dedicated, committed and excited for the role
3. Insight into workplace barriers like, work-life balance, gender bias, etc.

And the very important advice, "take your seats at the table, make your presence felt".

The whole experience evidently boosted my confidence and communications skills.

What is next for you?

The future looks optimistic with all this motivation, inspiration and guidance. IT is not just limited to coding, but there is enormous areas where we can find our place. I'm now working on my CV and actively applying for placements. Institutionalising the key points will absolutely help anyone to be noticed and make their presence felt.

What is your top tip for students?

Making yourself active in LinkedIn attracts lot of opportunities, also, keep looking for events in job portals.