How To Get A Career In Tech & Tech Career Paths
Article originally published in British Vogue by Susan Devaney
“I remember seeing the trading floor on Wall Street for the first time… I could hear screaming and see lots of computer systems. There was just this energy and electricity, and I thought: this is what I want to do,” Cecilia Harvey tells British Vogue. Now the CEO of Hyve Dynamics, at the time Harvey was studying political science at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, a well-known liberal arts institution whose alumni include former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, news anchor Diane Sawyer, and writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron.
“I think that’s what’s important about having great role models, because for one, I saw all these women who’d graduated from my university now in these roles [on the trading floor],” explains Harvey of the formative experience. “There was this one Black woman. I’ll never forget her because she was so gorgeous, fashionable and fierce. She was the leader of that whole team of alumni, and she was really encouraging us to join Wall Street. I thought, oh my goodness, when I grow up I want to be just like her. When you see somebody who looks like you, and has a similar background to you, and you see them in that role, you think to yourself, ‘Well, yeah, this is possible for me. I can do this.’”
Fast forward to today, and Harvey has done it, and then some. “Over the last 20 years I think I’ve worked at every bank you could possibly work for,” she muses. As the founder of Tech Women Today, she’s proof that forging a successful career in STEM doesn’t have to mean following a traditional path. She acknowledges that working in finance, where “technology was really the foundation of those businesses”, influenced her move into tech, but she’s carved out her impressive CV by always doing things her way, and in a male-dominated field.
Here, Harvey offers her expert advice to women looking to get into tech – but all working women could benefit from reading her words of wisdom on how to successfully navigate your career path.
Ignore the myths and misconceptions
Currently, women make up only 15 per cent of all people working in STEM in the UK. While Harvey has seen more women entering the profession in recent years, she’s seen a lot leave, too. “I think there’s a lack of information for tech as a career. Women aren’t really considering tech careers because they’re not given enough information about working in the sector from when they’re in school – but it’s suggested to many men that they should have a career in technology.” In short: it’s time for change.
“I think we need to expand the definition of what it means to be a woman in technology. To work in tech you don’t have to be a coder, you don’t have to have had a career in computer science. If a lot of people are thinking that’s the starting ground, then that’s the problem right there,” Harvey says. “I studied political science, which has definitely helped me in my career. You could be a project manager, you could be a business analyst, you could be a designer… there are so many different types of careers. Once we show the rainbow of opportunities within the tech industry, people will see the different paths. And we need diversity – we don’t need people coming from the same schools, studying the same subjects, coming from the same pool, if you will. If we’re truly going to diversify… then we need to start pulling in people from all these different backgrounds.” Don’t make the mistake of thinking the only people who work in tech are “young white guys in hoodies, sipping on lattes”, Harvey says.
Don’t fear change
“Don’t stay in a bad situation. You’ve really got to go with your instincts. That’s not to say that something hard is always something bad – sometimes hard is just hard,” advises Harvey. During the Covid-19 pandemic, studies have shown that many women are considering a possible career change. Be aware that getting to where you want to in your career may involve accepting an interim job, Harvey says. “Know the difference between a bridge and a road. Certain jobs are just a bridge because you know you’re not going to be there forever,” Harvey explains. “But you’re not meant to stay on a bridge, you drive over a bridge.” Staying too long in a work situation that isn’t serving you could lead to what Harvey refers to as a “career Krakatoa moment”. “When you just explode. Don’t wait for somebody to tell you where your career is going to go.”
It’s a tough lesson, and one Harvey had to learn herself. “I’ve been through it. I’ve been the girl standing in the corner calling my friend crying because a company did not give me a promotion,” she recalls. “And I said, ‘I’m not letting this happen again.’ It’s about getting out of your own way. So many times I look back on my career and I think I was the biggest obstacle in my own path. Whether it was my mindset or the people I chose to surround myself with, or not exploring and creating options for myself.”
Actively keep your options open
“Above all, I think you’ve got to create options for yourself,” Harvey repeats. “That comes from proactively thinking ahead about what you want.” How do you do that? By always having a “career emergency kit” ready, she says. “You better have the names of three headhunters who you’re regularly keeping in contact with that focus on your industry, your CV up to date, your LinkedIn profile up to date, and alerts set up for open roles at various career sites,” she says. “I always tell people that you better be interviewing even if you’re happy. For one thing, it keeps you sharp. It allows you to connect with people. It helps you to understand what hiring managers are looking for – and you never know, they may remember you for roles that open up in the future.”
It’s also important to know your worth. “You need to know what is the market rate for your role and for your level of experience, which is why I tell people to always interview,” Harvey points out. “Do your due diligence: what is your job worth? And are you getting paid what you deserve? I would encourage women to position themselves in a special area in tech. So, get to know a particular programming language, or an area in tech you know is in high demand. It keeps you fresh and it keeps you relevant.”
Listen to other women’s stories
“One of the things we do at Tech Women Today is storytelling, because it’s so important for people to share their stories. It’s not about editing out the low points and dark times – your story is going to be that bit of hope for somebody else,” says Harvey. “When I think of what my grandmother, my mother and my aunt had gone through in order for me to have a better experience, I know that they shared their stories with me so I would know how to do battle when I was out there... No one can tell me, or make me feel like, I haven’t earned my right to be at the table, or to be in any room.”
The UK has set a target of increasing the proportion of women working in STEM to 30 per cent. If government efforts to encourage more women into STEM are successful, it estimates the shift could be worth as much as £2 billion to the UK labour market. “I think we need more female role models that women and young girls can relate to,” Harvey says. “You need to have an understanding of who they are as individuals, so you’re able to draw parallels between what they’ve gone through and what you’re going through. That’s ultimately what made me want to have a career in banking, when I saw somebody doing it who looked like me.”
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