5 reasons women make great coders
GitHub is a famous open-source software platform where over 73 million developers shape the future of software together. Although men famously make up 91% of the industry, researchers in a gender-blind study discovered that code written by women was approved at a higher rate (78.6%) than software code written by men (74.6%). Proof if it were needed that women not only make great coders, but they outperform their male colleagues.
However, Gartner recently revealed that 64% of IT executives believe that talent shortages are the most significant barrier to emerging technologies adoption. Furthermore, according to the UK Governments Levelling Up white paper, the country needs to tackle the digital skills gap by 2030. For these reasons alone, it has never been a better time for women to reskill and prepare for a new career in software development. But if you are searching for motivation and inspiration to make the leap into tech, here are five reasons why women make great coders.
Women were the first coders
If we trace the origins of computer programming, everything from code breaking at Bletchley Park to engineering at NASA was predominantly performed by women. In fact, female coders have a long history of changing the world. Fast forward to the present day, and programming is considered a male-dominated history, but thankfully, all that is beginning to change.
However, it will be inaccurate to suggest that women are starting to get interested in tech. On the contrary, there is a strong argument that software is returning to its roots. We should never forget that gender balance in computer programming was much stronger 50 years ago than today.
Women have superior communication skills
Successful people in IT will heavily rely on their communication skills more than their technical knowledge. In the workplace, it’s about how you explain or share technical ideas and data to a non-technical audience and your IT colleagues. Therefore, how you speak, write, listen, read body language, and show empathy are critical skills that are essential for software developers.
Many also forget that even the art of coding is essentially a conversation between a computer operating system and the developer. Women have a reputation for being born communicators and often outperform males, who are often guilty of falling into the trap of getting too technical or mansplaining their way through long monologues.
The ability to seamlessly communicate with different audiences and naturally adjust their tone and language is just one of many characteristics attributed to women that make them perfect for a career in coding. The best female coders are comfortable finding different resources. They naturally communicate with the right people to unlock the solution or keep a project on the right track.
Women are natural problem solvers
Reese Witherspoon famously shared her frustrations with Hollywood scripts where a helpless girl turns to the guy when facing a problem and says, ‘What do we do now?'” It’s a scene that we have all observed in countless movies and TV shows, and the reality is women are natural problem solvers. This is an important observation because you won’t find a woman in coding looking for a man to solve her workplace problems or anywhere else.
Problem-solving requires teamwork and contrasting views to generate alternatives that can be evaluated before applying to a system. We are just beginning to appreciate that diversity of thought combined with differences in opinions or perspectives play a crucial role in finding solutions to complex problems. Sure, men and women often see things differently, but this should be celebrated for that very reason. But in coding, you won’t find anyone saying the words; what do we do now?
Adaptability comes naturally to women
Employers are searching for durable skills such as adaptability that are often in short supply in their organisation. In a digital world that is continuously evolving, employees are challenged to learn and unlearn when adapting to unusual situations without being instructed to do so. These skills come naturally to women and are sadly lacking in many IT teams.
By contrast, women in tech thrive when working independently or in a dynamic group and team setting. The art of seamlessly adapting to their surroundings without being phased when faced with the breakneck speed of cultural or technological change makes them invaluable to tech teams. Tech projects can often be quite stressful and require a tenacious attitude and patience in equal measure when adapting in real-time to the changes around them.
Women are already accustomed to being forced to adapt to various situations or circumstances in their daily lives. In the workplace, women coders instinctively switch into adaptability mode. Their resilience helps them and their colleague’s triumph over adversity in even the most stressful or high-pressure situations.
Making Coding Creative
Although our news feeds are bombarded with stories of how AI, automation, and robots are coming to take our jobs, it’s also crucial to remember that technology cannot replace humans’ creative and innovative side. For example, in software development, women have a reputation for using their coding skills in a wide range of creative and inspirational ways.
Most people reading this will not think of software development as a creative career choice. But women coders are often attracted by learning and discovering new ways to use code to solve problems that require a high level of technical creativity. Although early in a software development career, the big focus will be ensuring that your code works, as they advance, women naturally get creative in learning how to make their code run faster while also making it easier for other developers in the team to understand and maintain
We should never forget that every future of innovation will be generated by code written in software. As a result, women coders will be at the heart of solving critical business problems. They will leverage their natural skills as problem solvers, communicators, and analytical thinkers to get creative with their code. But what do you need to learn to begin an exciting career in software development?
Good coding languages to learn
By learning to code, you are transforming your career while playing a pivotal role in changing the world with a combination of your ideas and technology. Initially, you might find yourself attracted by lucrative salaries and opportunities to future-proof your career. Still, most importantly, you will be arming yourself with the skills to fill the growing IT skills gap.
The first questions that you might ask are what are good coding languages to learn, and does it matter that I have zero experience in IT? The good news is that the best certifications needed to secure a career as a coder do not have any prerequisites, and better still, you could quickly find yourself on an average annual salary of £48,000 a year. We recommend the Diploma in Full Stack Software Development, a novice to professional coding course created and validated by tech industry experts built around preparing you for a tech career.
When searching for good coding languages to learn, you will probably have read about HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and Python. Essentials around all these languages and more are all covered extensively in the full stack development course. For those that want to specialise in a coding language such as Python but have minimal web development experience, the simplicity of its coding language makes it a perfect entry point for beginners.
How difficult is coding to learn?
Many people find themselves asking, how difficult is coding to learn? Once again, the Python course has no prerequisite, and regardless of your experience, this path will help you reach the level of Pythonista. Although the prospect of learning something completely new might feel daunting, upon completion, you will have learned web programming and front-end projects, automated testing strategies, and binary trees.
Contrary to popular opinion, software development is not all about technical knowledge. What makes IT teams excel together is the methodology that ensures everyone is working the same way and talking the same language. The Agile for software development course will ensure you gain the critical skills and knowledge needed to embrace an Agile mindset in the workplace.
By exploring Agile fundamentals and Scrum Methodology, you will quickly learn more about software requirements, software design, and estimation methods of Agile software projects. It will also prepare you to work in an IT team where agile methodologies, extreme programming, and project management are used seamlessly across an organisation.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in IT management or leadership, the course also covers building Agile organisations models and implementing an Agile culture; this could be the perfect course to kickstart your career in tech.
Exploring a Career in Software Development Project Management
Women are also thriving in leadership roles in tech and software development. But before deciding if you want to take the technical or managerial route, you might find yourself asking the question, what is a software development manager? Or what does a software development manager do?
Whether you are a techie wanting to thrive in software development or a tech leader that wants to make well-informed data-driven business decisions, contact our team of expert career consultants, who will accelerate you towards a successful career in software development.
