There are many things we wish we could tell our younger selves, but the path you choose and decisions you make all contribute to who you are now.
Last weekend, it was International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women’s achievements and raise awareness about discrimination. I’ve been reflecting on my journey and experience as a woman in the tech industry.
It’s hardly a secret that this has traditionally been a male-dominated space. But it’s an industry I love, and which has taught me a lot.
In this article, I reflect on what I wish I had known when my career started.
1. You don't have to be 'technical' to belong in tech
When I first entered the industry, I thought ‘working in tech’ meant coding, engineering or being deeply technical.
What I’ve learned is that tech ecosystems are built by diverse skill sets – product managers, marketers, sales and operations leaders, analysts, customer success teams and more. All these people make tech possible.
2. Your manager matters more than the brand
I used to think that landing a role at a well-known company was the ultimate goal. What I didn’t realise is that your direct manager shapes your daily experience, your growth trajectory and your confidence far more than a company name ever will.
A strong manager advocates for your development, gives clear, actionable feedback, creates psychological safety and pushes you to push yourself.
A big brand might open doors, but a great manager teaches you how to grow once you’re inside.
3. Visibility is not vanity
Tech moves fast. Leaders are busy, and impact that isn’t visible is often forgotten. I wish I had known earlier that documenting wins, sharing progress updates and articulating outcomes isn’t self-promotion – it’s professional clarity.
Visibility means framing your work in terms of business impact, speaking up in meetings when you have context and ensuring your contributions are tied to outcomes.
Recently, LinkedIn News released research: ‘The State of Women in Leadership: Global Employment Trends in 2026’, highlighting that women’s progress into top management has slowed over the last few years across 16 countries.
Research like this demonstrates even more the importance of visibility and not overlooking the value of demonstrating your impact as a woman in the industry. Although progress in management has slowed, the research showed that the share of female founders has been growing, rising 4 points to 31% in the UK since 2015.
4. Soft skills aren't 'soft'
In tech, especially in non-technical roles, your ability to connect the dots, translate complexity and align people is incredibly powerful.
Skills like clear communication, strategic thinking, negotiation, boundary-setting and stakeholder management aren’t ‘nice-to-haves’; they are the building blocks of the collaboration that’s essential for getting things done. Many of the most effective teams succeed not because everyone is technical, but because someone can bridge gaps, clarify priorities and move ideas forward.
5. You're allowed to take up space
Whether it was in meetings, in technology debates or in leadership conversations, I used to overthink before speaking – rehearsing points in my head to avoid being challenged. I used to soften language and second-guess myself.
What I’ve learned is this:
- Your perspective is valuable because it’s yours.
- You don’t have to pre-apologise for your ideas.
- You don’t have to shrink to make others comfortable.
- You don’t have to wait to be invited into the conversation.
Final thoughts
These lessons, plus many others, have shaped my career to this point, and in the years to come, there will be plenty more to learn. I don’t know what the future will bring. What do know, however, is that as long as I continue to learn, stay in spaces where I’m valued, back myself and have my voice heard, I will continue to love being part of the tech industry.
The primary lesson is this: the industry needs our voices, and we should use them.
