In celebration of International Women’s Day 2022, BrainRocket has organized a roundtable discussion with three of our female BROs, Olga Odnokolova, Olga Morashko, and Alena Karpenko.

The discussion highlights key pathways to women’s transformative leadership in the IT industry, thereby empowering females and increasing their prospects of attaining such roles.

‍1. What is your position within the company?
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‍Olga O.: I work as a Technical product owner at BrainRocket.
Olga M.: I am the Team Lead of the Implementation team.
Alena K.: My role at BrainRocket is a Middle HTML coder.

‍2. How many years of experience do you have in your field?
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‍Olga O.: I have been working for 6 years as a Technical product owner.
Olga M.: I’ve been in the industry for a decade now.
Alena K.: March 15th will mark my first year of working within the field.

‍3. What does being a woman in tech/IT mean?
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‍Olga O.: For me, it means to be able to discover yourself. And this awareness does not depend on physical appearance in any way, but on the intellect, which I believe is the most essential factor. It is excellent that you can be a talented specialist and allow yourself to look the way you want to. Meaning no one will terminate you for hair color, tattoos, piercings, etc. Plus, there is the possibility of a flexible schedule, which is very important for those with children.
Olga M.: In my opinion, there is no difference whether it is IT or another field, as there is no separation between a man and a woman. Personally, I have never experienced any problems with gender discrimination. Having worked in various companies, there were often even more girls in the teams than guys.
Alena K.: To be a woman in IT is to forget about the stereotype that it is too difficult for women and that it is an industry exclusive to men. Being a woman in IT means being sure that your profession will not lose its relevance for many more years, which gives you confidence in your life plans.

‍4. How challenging was it to start this profession?
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‍Olga O.: It was not difficult to start the profession itself. However, it is rather challenging to find the direction in IT that is really for you.
Olga M.: Of course, it was not easy. It is always tough starting any business from scratch. There are many sleepless nights, but seeing the result of your endeavors, you understand that it was all worth it.
Alena K.: To be honest, it’s not as difficult as I imagined. If you have a soul for this, then it is much easier to put knowledge into your head. The fundamental thing is to find your calling.

‍5. What are/were the obstacles that you face/faced in your profession?
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‍Olga O.: It was definitely determining the vector of further development between development, system analysis, or management.
Olga M.: There are no obstacles that I face or have faced before that I can recall.
Alena K.: I can single out the difficulty of going through all the interview stages and adapting to the new specifics of the job.

‍6. What is one piece of advice that you would give to other females who think the IT industry is only for men?
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‍Olga O.: Don’t be afraid to show your intelligence and your abilities. Guys in IT, on the contrary, are always happy to help the ladies, so don’t fear not being taken seriously.
Olga M.: There are no boundaries, as all limitations are only in people’s minds. My advice is to always strive to get to the finish line, even when it is difficult and seems that nothing will come of it. However, the day will come when everything will work out, and this will be the first small victory that will motivate you to keep moving forward. Plus, there will always be people who will support and motivate you.
Alena K.: You can do more than you think, believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to fail. In addition to that, be sure that women in IT achieve no less success than men.

BrainRocket thanks the ladies for participating in the roundtable discussion and for providing an engaging and dynamic panel to boost female participation in the IT and tech field.