A Glimpse into Working as a Woman in Tech at Telstra
Being a Woman in Technology
Women in technology. Not a foreign concept in 2020, but continuously underrepresented in the IT workforce. Only 25% of graduates with IT qualifications in Australia are female. Female participation is one of the lowest across other occupations in Australia with a participation rate of only 28% of IT workers compared to 45% across all other professional industries. This disparity in IT professions is remaining constant across the industry despite the growing demand for ICT technical and professional roles required in business transformation. Why? It stems from the underlying issues that exist in the labour force. The IT gender pay gap, the provision of genuine equal opportunity in the workplace are only a few to name.
An accurate representation of women in IT is an integral part of the progression towards a diverse and sustainable IT workforce in the future. Diversity strengthens a company’s customer orientation. As product users are not limited to one particular demographic, the ability for firms to reflect the composition of their target market is important to craft a product that better suits what the customer base requires. It is crucial there is more awareness around this issue to ensure that the pool of high-quality tech talent found in women are provided equal opportunities to shine through and help develop the tech industry.
Women in Tech at Telstra
In our recent Women in Stem event, we had the pleasure to listen in on one of our panellists, Debbie Wills and her experiences working as a woman at Telstra.
Her journey, which eventually led to working at Telstra for almost 19 years, initially started out when Debbie first decided to become a civil engineer. Back in high school, Debbie was passionate about science, she had a love for building and designing bridges and wanted the opportunity to pursue this interest as part of her career.
Eventually graduating and becoming a fully-fledged civil engineer, Debbie started networking and eventually landed a role as an engineering consultant. This position, as Debbie describes, helped her build the foundational skills of problem-solving and breaking down issues. After a while, however, she decided to make a career change, as she wanted to explore different options whilst being able to carry over her developed skills as an engineer.
This is when Debbie came across the opportunity to join Telstra. She started out as a site acquisition coordinator, helping roll out mobile phone networks across Victoria and Tasmania, to the role she is today, as a Principal helping manage a billion-dollar mobile phone deployment program and working with regulatory compliance in Telstra’s EME program.
Debbie describes her journey at Telstra as "a wonderful opportunity”. She is very passionate about what she does and the culture and values of the company, which resonate with her own.
Debbie’s experiences gave us an insight into women working in technology at Telstra, but we wanted to hear more.
Q: Debbie, what would you describe as some of the most challenging barriers that women face?
A: We [women] think that we have to follow a certain path. I think it's important to help promote opportunities for girls in STEM. I did this when I participated with Robogals who deliver programs and get girls excited about STEM and get them thinking about it as an option for their careers. It’s all about opening them up to opportunities.
Q: What do you think are the main problems or tasks in the workplace? And how do you overcome this?
A: There aren't many women in the wireless sector, I am the only female leader in Wireless Access in Telstra. However, in contrast to popular opinion, I feel that as a female, I have the opportunity to be heard more. I had a watershed moment a while ago when I realised this and decided to not overthink questions and put my suggestions out there. If I’m going to say something l think is important, I should just say it. I think this is definitely something every woman in the workplace should adopt.
Q: What has been your greatest highlight in working at Telstra?
A: So many things, but my favourite highlight is definitely taking on the role as a people manager. I love how I can bring in people from other parts of the business and grow with them as they develop in their journey at Telstra. I like to bring in someone new, who has skills where I or others in the team might have weaknesses. This increases the diversity of ideas within the team. The teams are very supportive, very brilliant, so the growth is amazing, for me as a manager, to see.
Q: Are there opportunities at Telstra for you to grow? How do you go about learning something new, as a professional?
A: Whenever I want to learn something, the obvious choice would be using a book or course, but for me I find effective learning comes from on-the-job experience. Repetitive work builds learning. I like to go over and over the information on my own, ensuring l can explain and understanding it for myself. For example, earlier this week, I learned about the theory of refarming mobile frequencies, which was something new to me. I broke it down and came back to fully understand the bits and pieces.
At Telstra, you have the additional opportunity to act in someone’s role. You can develop a development plan with your manager to plan to act in their role to gain experience, short term or long term. It’s a fantastic way to test your skills and knowledge and broaden your understanding of the business.
Q: What unconventional advice can be given to a woman considering a career in the tech industry?
A: One of the biggest barriers to being heard in the tech industry, is yourself. As the gender minority in any workplace, you may feel as though your comments can either make or break your entire reputation. However, this does not mean you should overthink your every thought and action. Instead, take this chance to build your courage and speak up about your opinion and ask questions whenever you can. Remember that your input is just as valid as anyone else’s in the room and can even provide a whole new perspective. Above all, learn to find your place in the big picture and never undermine your own qualifications and expertise.
Telstra offers opportunities for students and graduates through their Summer Vacation Program and Graduate Program. For more information about the opportunities they offer, head to https://careers.telstra.com/home!