The world of IT can be intimidating, especially for newcomers, so advice for women to take the initiative to drive diversity and inclusion is extremely valuable. This is why the EDGE360 editorial team is closing out Women’s History Month with a video featuring advice from various men and women of the channel for young women in technology. Experts from Comstor, SYNNEX, and Cisco share some insight about breaking into the business and how to do so with confidence.
In this video, we spoke with Molly Sherwood, Senior Director, Marketing at SYNNEX, Dan Forbes, Senior Director, Comstor Field Sales, Western U.S., Jennifer Keating, Director, Public Sector Partner Organization for Cisco, Jay Denton, SVP/GM for Comstor North America, and Pippa Sturkey, Partner Distribution Manager at Cisco. All of these experts know what it’s like to get started in the exciting and fast-paced world of IT and shared pearls of wisdom about how young professionals, especially women, can and should confidently pursue a career in the field.
Sherwood and Forbes both expressed the importance of diversity in technology and the opportunity it presents for sharing fresh perspectives, advising that newcomers share their ideas often. “This industry is constantly evolving and changing, so having an outside perspective is very valuable and will help us all win,” Sherwood stated. Forbes added, “It would be folly on the part of this industry to disregard points of view and disregard opinions.”
Keating encouraged young women in technology to remain diligent in their work, but also remember that work, like life, can be a rollercoaster. “There’s ups and downs continuously and you have to hold on for the ride.”
Denton advised women focusing on STEM careers to seek out companies with work environments that are clearly receptive to female leadership, as exhibited in award wins and visibility on industry sites. Sturkey roundsed out the advice by urging young women to disregard dated, inaccurate adages about what they are capable of because “they are simply not true.”
Watch the video below for some important advice for young women looking to start their careers in technology:
