8 Programmes In India For Switching From Non-IT To IT Careers

Note: This article was published on Women’s Web on 30th June, 2023

I was speaking with an innovative kid about his non-profit initiative a few months ago, as part of which he encourages and upskills lesser privileged girls to pursue STEM careers. He was relaying his experiences, stating that even today, a sizable percentage of people regard this field to be a man’s domain.

As an engineer, I’ve witnessed the era when gender ratios in colleges were extremely lopsided. It was widely expected that most women would pursue humanities/arts because of the prevalent mindset that a woman had to eventually become an efficient home-maker post-marriage.

Let’s get to some alarming but important statistics. According to the latest AISHE survey, while more than 50% of women enrol on humanities and arts for further education, the figure stands at around 28% when it comes to engineering and technology streams.

Furthermore, the ratio of women studying computer science in Indian universities in the hardware domain has been falling abysmally lower in the last decade.

While the reports show some progress over the years as a whole in gender distributions, the overall low representation of women in tech in India can be linked to societal factors as well as systemic issues. Due to cultural norms and gender stereotyping, most young girls have less access to resources and avenues that can stimulate an interest in technology. This disparity leads to skill gaps between men and women despite being equally talented and on a level field in terms of capabilities, resulting in a lack of opportunities. Due to this, several women with potential or ambition are propelled to undertake non-IT careers.

Additionally, the lack of guidance from the right mentors and inspiring role models creates a vicious spiral that must be stopped by taking the right measures to encourage and upskill more women to step into tech professions.

Common questions before you decide on switching from non-IT to IT careers

In spite of all the above, it is heartening to see a slow but steady rise in the number of women in India aspiring to switching from non-IT to the IT industry for better remuneration, opportunities and growth. However, the challenges and hurdles on this road are plenty.

Most women I interact with as a part of my work do not know where to start. The common questions are:

How do I overcome confidence issues?
How do I network and form connections with the right people?
How do I upskill and from where?
How do I ensure work-life balance in the tech industry to be able to look after family too?
How do I bridge the knowledge gap coming from my non-tech background?
How do I equip myself to handle workplace gender biases and prejudices?

8 Tips on switching from non-IT to IT careers

In response to these questions and more, here are some tips for women in India switching from non-IT to IT jobs to make the move seamless, rewarding and successful.

Confidence comes from clarity

The first step should be to determine your career objectives and zero in on the precise area of technology you wish to get into, depending on your interest.

Be aware before you take the leap

Spend adequate time to research and get acquainted with current trends, technologies, and job roles in the technology industry.

Filter out the negative voices

Do not let people’s biases or myopic views get to you, and build a circle with supportive women who will egg you on as you take this journey.

Identify skill gaps

Identify the required skills for your chosen technology sector and look for courses/certifications online as well as offline, if applicable, to enrol.

You could also check for readily available resources to learn and upskill. Platforms like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning can be a great starting point to explore.

Start networking

Keep your eyes and ears open. Be out there on social media. Join relevant communities and participate in events or networking meets which can help you connect with like-minded women or experienced professionals who can mentor or guide you through the journey.

Start building a portfolio

It is important to start building experience, bit by bit. Small steps go a long way, so you could do an internship or freelance tasks/jobs to add to your profile.

This would also give you the confidence to take on more in the future as you pursue your chosen field. At the beginning, the focus should be on learning and getting comfortable in the new area of work.

Update resume suitably

Following a combination format in the resume works best for women switching from non-IT to IT industry.

This implies that the skills and achievements section should be highlighted first, and then the work experience/educational qualifications can be detailed in the usual chronological format. This would ensure your added tech skills/achievements get the required visibility.

While the above can be done as an individual effort, fortunately, today we also have organizations that support the transitioning of women in India from non-tech to the tech industry.

Programs and initiatives for women switching from non-IT to IT careers in India

Due to increased focus on diversity and inclusion, these companies/institutions have launched initiatives and programmes to bridge the gender gap and provide a more conducive environment for women to thrive and succeed in the technology sector.

Below is a curated list of programmes that enable women in India to transition from the non-tech to the tech industry.

Tech Saksham by Microsoft

To address the issue of gender disparity in STEM careers, the Tech Saksham program aims to equip women with skills for the future and encourage them towards tech careers.

The program follows a two-tiered delivery model, with the core program engagement focused on learning and acquiring skills to understand the application of technology by the students, followed by an activity-led modular engagement delivered over a year to practice and implement skills under the mentorship of Industry experts to ensure job-readiness of the students.