Since my last post, I’ve been interviewing women in the tech industry for the upcoming launch of Remoter.tech, a resource website and job board that I am building for the wider Omaha community through my Do Space Women Innovators Fellowship project. It has been a refreshing opportunity to connect with women who are doing amazing things in their industries.
I recently interviewed Joanna O’Connell, Vice President and Principal Analyst for Forrester Research. Joanna and I met while living and working in New York, and we spoke about how to create a path to the kind of work environment one needs to be happy and healthy. Look for our interview and other exclusive content on the Remoter.tech blog when the site launches in late summer.
One of the recurring themes I have found in these interviews is that many women often do not start out in the tech industry, but pivot or transition into it for a variety of reasons – including a desire for a more challenging career, an increase in pay, or better work options and benefits.
The tech industry struggles with the persona of the “socially awkward tech nerd” – even employees who do not work in client-facing positions need the ability to work and communicate easily in a team setting. Women often undervalue those skills that they bring from other careers into the tech industry. Tech encompasses a wide array of jobs that require skills beyond writing code – “tech adjacent” jobs are a great place to leverage project management, customer service, and networking skills. As Remoter.tech prepares to launch, I’ve leveraged skills gained from other industries and life experiences. The importance of customer service and general people skills should never be underestimated.
If you are a local professional (web developer, app designer, etc.) who has made the leap into the tech industry, are you looking for remote work opportunities? Contact me at april@remoter.tech to have your portfolio featured on the site for free.
Businesses that are struggling to fill tech positions could benefit from identifying job positions within their companies that can be reshaped to allow for flex or remote work, opening the door for a wider range of qualified applicants. This requires an investment of time into training and planning on how to manage remote staff members, clearly define work, and put into place processes for accountability. The upside is that learning how to work and communicate effectively with remote team members also improves communication practices overall – and Remoter.tech is here to help with resources and qualified remoters!
If you are a local business interested in hiring remote tech staff on a full-time, part-time or project basis, please contact me at april@remoter.tech to have your opportunity featured. Look for the site launch of Remoter.tech in late summer!
April is a recipient of the 2019 Do Space Women Innovators Fellowship. She is building a resource website and job board called Remoter.tech on behalf of the Omaha community that will promote remote tech work to women and small businesses in Omaha and nearby rural areas.