How to navigate a career in tech, according to a female founder

From former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg to OpenAI’s current CTO Mira Murati, to Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, women in tech are slowly but surely gaining ground in the household name stakes. 

However, despite a focus on girls studying STEM subjects, and women pursuing and occupying the C-suite in greater numbers, the harsh reality is that the volume of men to women in tech currently stands at a ratio of 3:1.

“There remains considerable scope for further progress, and the journey towards improvement has not been linear,” offers Lori Laub, CEO and founder of TruCentive, an incentives delivery platform that allows businesses to send gifts, rewards and incentives to employees. 

“The doors to the tech industry are increasingly open to women, and the opportunities continue to expand. The question now centres on how women leverage these opportunities to enhance the workplace for the generations of women who will follow.”

While Laub quickly ascended the ranks in her early career, serving as a vice president at the age of 27 and separately, as a CIO four years later, she admits she’s had to navigate challenging situations along the way, including scepticism from clients who found it difficult to accept someone so young was the one “in charge” and being referred to as “little lady” by a male colleague.

Her advice to women working within tech could be applied to almost any industry: consistently present the best version of yourself while being truthful about your strengths and the areas that need improvement to grow and excel in your chosen field. 

“This self-awareness is crucial for earning respect, title, or position,” she adds. “Perfection is unrealistic; it’s essential for each of us to dedicate ourselves to improving our contributions to the organisation and the way we deliver them.”

Laub also points out that “self-belief” and “honesty in evaluating your own capabilities and managing expectations realistically” is an important step, and every setback should be viewed as an opportunity to “learn and move forward with enhanced insight”. 

Her observations gleaned from navigating funding rounds as a female founder also offer a refreshingly honest insight into the process of securing both financial and professional support from investors. 

“Venture capitalists seek leaders with compelling ideas and a team they can trust. As a founder, you’re staking your time, frequently your own finances, and more. They’re betting on you; if they perceive you as committed and equipped to succeed, gender should not matter. And if it does, are they really the kind of investors you want on your team?”

If you’ve come to a point in your career where the company you work for doesn’t align with your values or isn’t bolstering your chances to succeed, it could be time to look for a new opportunity in an organisation that is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Below we’re highlighting three such companies but you can find many more on the Silicon Canals Jobs Board. 

Apixit

Based in France, Apixit offers cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and cloud services and solutions. On its company website it stipulates that it welcomes employees from all walks of life and takes a collaborative approach to management as well as day-to-day tasks. Mentorship is also a core value along with professionally integrating those at the start of their career. If this sounds like the kind of company you’d like to work for, you can find a list of open roles at Apixit here. 

Octopus Energy Group

Awarded the Best Company to Work For in 2022 and voted as one the 50 Best Places to Work in 2022 by Glassdoor, Octopus Energy Group has also received the Happy at Work label in France. The company also states that it is committed to providing an inclusive and fair working environment and is seeking out individuals who are caring and empathetic in their approach. Interested in working at Octopus Energy? Find out more information about open roles here. 

Accenture

Globally, Accenture is renowned for its inclusive workplace policies — it has been ranked number 10 on this list of the World’s Best Workplaces—  and currently, 45% of its board of directors are women. The consultancy firm also has a global workforce of 48% women, 52% of its new hires are women and 30% of its managing directors are women. Learn more about working with Accenture here. 

Accelerate your career today via the Silicon Canals Job Board