Women feel the need to prove their IT skills

Women are failing to sell their IT skills effectively according to new research by IT training company The Training Camp.

The research shows that over half (54 per cent) feel they need proof of qualifications to reinforce their experience whereas their male counterparts would simply talk their way into new jobs and projects.

Over a third (35 per cent) of women interviewed for the research believed industry recognised qualifications in key technology areas could boost their salaries by as much as 40 per cent.

Women can play a key role in addressing the skills shortage in IT, says Rob Chapman, chief executive officer at The Training Camp.

‘Whilst women may have exactly the same industry experience they feel they often lose out when applying for new jobs or projects as they don’t have the paper to prove it,’ said Chapman.

An investigation by Computing (Computing, 18 January) found women working in the IT industry still feel they need to outperform their male counterparts to achieve the same level of success.

The number of female IT workers is declining, representing just 16 per cent of the industry compared with 19 to 21 per cent in 2000 according to figure released last year by IT trade association Intellect, despite government and industry initiatives to attract women to the profession.

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Further reading:

What women want

Girl technies need better support