Navigating a career transition into the tech industry can be both an exciting and challenging journey, especially for women who may be moving from non-tech backgrounds. At WomenTech Network, we understand the importance of empowering women to break into this field and are proud to partner with industry leaders like NetApp, who share our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Tamsin Minton, Service Delivery Manager at NetApp UK and leader of their Women in Tech Employee Business Resource Group (EBRGs), to gain her insights on the essential skills needed for women transitioning into tech, the challenges they may face, and how they can leverage their unique experiences to thrive in this industry.
Tamsin Minton, Service Delivery Manager at NetApp UK
Tamsin Minton is an inspiring leader and Service Delivery Manager at NetApp UK, known for her authentic and caring nature. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, she combines her sharp analytical skills and excellent communication abilities to tackle complex challenges and drive positive change. Tamsin is highly respected by her colleagues for her innovative solutions and leadership in the Women in Tech Employee Business Resource Group (EBRGs). Balancing her career with being a dedicated mother of three, she exemplifies empathy, collaboration, and excellence in both her professional and personal life.
Skillset for transitioning into tech
What essential skills do you believe are necessary for women transitioning into tech, and how can they acquire or develop these skills?
I think the term “essential” when referring to skills should be used cautiously. One of the interesting facts I learnt about the difference between women and men when applying for a new role, is that women will only apply for a new role when they feel that they have at least 90% of the “skills” that the role has outlined as “essential”. Whereas a man will apply if they feel they can count at least 50% as within their current ability.
I think it’s important to remember that a lot of skills are portable, even skills you don’t think could be related. Sometimes I recommend asking somebody else what skill sets they think you have; you could be surprised how many skills you have that other people recognise that you might not even recognise in yourself.
However, I also think that aside from any technical skills which might be needed for a role (such as databases or programming), women should really invest in soft skills development. The kind of soft skills that are so incredibly useful for women to have are things like resilience, building belief in your ability, the art of having your voice heard, and speaking up and speaking out. Too many great women are lost from tech roles these days due to their own self-sabotage or lack of self-belief, or not knowing how to stand up and be heard.
Challenges when moving into tech
Can you outline any specific challenges that women might face when moving into tech and how your organization helps address these challenges?
The biggest challenge I hear from women who have moved into tech is being the only woman in a team, meeting, or room. It’s that feeling of being “different” or odd and not feeling like you fit in. Some women thrive on being in an environment like that, and that’s fine, but a lot of women struggle and find it difficult to relate to colleagues or leaders and that is where problems can arise.
In our organisation, we promote the value of Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs) for underrepresented groups. This helps the person to feel more included in the workplace, to share with similar people in similar situations, and to build resilience and belonging.
Non-tech experience as a strength
How can women leverage their previous non-tech experience as a strength when transitioning into the tech industry?
When looking at a career in tech, it’s important to remember that many skills transfer across. Learning the core technical skills needed to perform a role such as troubleshooting a product, or building a new software is obviously important and necessary. However, so many non-technical skills are also incredibly useful.
Troubleshooting can come in so many shapes and forms, from project management to managing a team and managing conflict. Technical roles tend to be in quite methodical, analytical formats so anything where you’ve had to solve a problem – even a non-technical one – can be a useful skill to draw on when moving into a new role.
Lots of technical roles can also be customer-facing, so any previous experience working in a customer-facing role can be considered relevant. How did you engage with that customer, what made the customer happy or calmer when faced with a less-than-ideal situation?
Also, consider any roles or previous experience where you have had to be organised and process driven. All these things can be core skills ported into a technical role.
Emerging tech fields and/or roles
Looking forward, what emerging tech fields or roles do you see as having significant opportunities for women transitioning into tech?
I think that the new tech world with AI can open up a whole new chapter of opportunities for women. Gone are the days of men being the main technical masterminds when creating new tech. It’s a well-known fact that diverse teams create the best products, solve the hardest problems, and help the customer best. Our customers all come from a diverse landscape, so why should our next generation of techies not be best placed to serve that diverse customer base, if they’re not from diverse backgrounds themselves?
A product created and developed by both men and women will almost certainly be developed with both men and women users in mind. Broaden the technical team behind a product and you hugely increase the scope of potential users!
Tamsin Minton's insights highlight several key strategies for women transitioning into tech: recognizing and developing both technical and soft skills, overcoming the challenges of being underrepresented in tech environments, and leveraging non-tech experiences as valuable assets. She emphasizes the importance of self-belief, resilience, and the power of diverse teams in shaping the future of technology.
If you're passionate about empowering women in tech and want to be part of a network that champions diversity, consider becoming a partner with us. Together, we can create more opportunities for women to thrive in the tech industry and drive meaningful change.
