Subsequent Tech Fest: Breaking tech position misconceptions

“You don’t must code to be a techie,” claimed one of many many audio system on the 2025 Subsequent Tech Fest, which was run and hosted by social enterprise Subsequent Tech Women.

With greater than 350 ladies between the ages of 15 and 20 in attendance, the occasion aimed to provide attendees a have a look at what tech careers contain and to interrupt down misconceptions concerning the individuals who work in tech and their roles.

Many of the ladies within the viewers raised their arms when requested in the event that they thought coding was essential to work in tech, however Subsequent Tech Women director Emily Corridor-Strutt responded that tech is “very broad” and spans “so many industries” that “a overwhelming majority of roles don’t require any coding.”.

Misconceptions about what tech jobs contain, together with being deterred from related topics in school, are often-cited causes as to why the variety of younger ladies selecting science, know-how, engineering and maths (STEM) careers is growing slowly.

In operation since 2016, Subsequent Tech Women has helped to supply greater than 10,000 ladies with steerage about tech sector careers, partly by serving to them to totally perceive paths into tech, accessible tech roles and showcase ladies already working within the sector. For instance, many younger ladies declare STEM topics are “too onerous”, however the audio system at Subsequent Tech Fest instructed that that is due to the idea that coding is integral to a tech profession.

Naamua Dodoo, software program engineer at Tesco, shared with the viewers she doesn’t “code for enjoyable”, and warned attendees off worrying about what they suppose somebody working in coding ought to appear to be, including: “You’re who you’re – don’t fear about not becoming the software program engineer stereotype.”

An absence of seen and accessible roles fashions is a big cause as to many women don’t select know-how careers, as they don’t see others like them in tech roles and subsequently consider it’s a spot they won’t be welcome. In addition to these working in software program engineering, one of many panels on the occasion was made up completely of these whose roles don’t require coding, providing completely different views on what a tech profession can appear to be.

Lots of the ladies on the “no code” panel additionally didn’t initially realise there have been tech roles that didn’t require coding. Sumaya Ahmed, product designer at Simply Eat, stated she “cried each time” she needed to do coding at college and admitted her profession has been “squiggly”, however there’s “nothing to be ashamed of” about an unconventional profession path.

“I needed to get into tech, so I believed one of the simplest ways to try this was by means of a pc science masters,” she stated. “In a short time, I realised how a lot I hated coding – I might cry each time I coded – and I did that for your entire 12 months, after which I discovered concerning the great world of UX.”

Whereas technical abilities are necessary for a lot of know-how roles, gentle and transferable abilities are tougher to be taught, and the technical abilities for a task could be picked up later, with the occasion audio system reiterating that employers don’t anticipate individuals coming into the sector to know all the pieces as quickly as they begin.

With varied completely different routes into tech that don’t essentially require a technical diploma or background, Lilymae Prescott, senior UX designer at Sky, identified that somebody’s academic path solely says a lot about them.

“Upskill, develop your abilities, develop your community, present that you just care about what you need and the long run that you really want,” she stated. “In the event you’ve received ardour for it, all the pieces else will come later; employers don’t anticipate you to know all the pieces. It’s the fervour and the care that comes first.”

Regardless of advances surrounding variety in tech, together with a give attention to constructing an inclusive tradition inside organisations so everybody feels welcome, there are nonetheless quite a few difficulties for individuals from underrepresented teams aiming to enter tech.

Audio system on the occasion agreed that there could be prejudice round not utilizing coding in a tech position, with Gayle Thompson-Igwebike, head of group at Subsequent Tech Women, claiming male co-workers might attempt to “out tech you” or make feedback akin to, “when you don’t code, what are you even doing?”. However she identified that coding is “not likely the one sort of technical that we now have”, highlighting the multitude of various roles and tasks individuals within the trade work on, including: “There’s nothing we do that may be a waste, [there is nothing] that might not be taken into the tech trade.”

Equally, Alianna Danise Bonifacio, junior software program developer at EY, stated that whereas the tech sector could be “actually scary as a result of tech is at all times evolving”, it’s a part of all industries – together with artwork, trend and music – and people in search of a tech profession must be “fearless”.

This provides younger individuals the chance to be artistic and bold on the subject of establishing their know-how profession, particularly within the age of AI the place a future position might not but have been created.