Women in Tech: How to Transition to Tech Roles in 2020

Women continue to be underrepresented in many economic sectors. Unfortunately, tech is no different. The figures say it all—approximately 20 percent of all jobs in technology worldwide are held by women. Even today, only 18 percent of computer science degree holders in the US are women.

Female professionals looking to transition to a career in tech may be held back by several factors. They may be intimidated about entering this male-dominated world. Perhaps they feel like they don’t have the skills required to complete the transition. The journey to becoming a tech professional may not be easy, but there are plenty of ways to get there if you put in the work.

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Talent Mobility

Many believe that you need to have impressive coding skills or be a maths whizz to be employed in the tech sector, but that’s nothing more than a myth. The truth is that companies in the tech sector require the services of professionals from a wide array of sectors. These professionals can have very satisfying and lucrative careers.

A culture and compensation data platform, Comparably, recently compiled results from more than 14,500 users to determine the most popular jobs in tech companies for people without a technical background. The workers came from small, mid-size, and large companies, including Apple, Uber, and Facebook. The study found plenty of roles that require little to no tech experience—some with hefty salaries and bonuses attached.

These are a few of the non-technical roles in high demand among tech companies such as accountants (with the base salary of $60,249), copywriters ($65,976), customer service managers ($65,400), business analysts ($78,393), and marketing managers ($81,095).

The thing is that these positions can also serve as a springboard to a full technical career. Many people have been hired by tech companies as copywriters or social media managers and then progressively transition into a technical role. You may enter a tech company as a non-techie, get bitten by the coding bug, and start learning a programming language or tool that interests you. Eventually, you may transition to a full technical role such as a web designer, digital marketer, or SEO expert.

Get the Skills You Need

If you are considering a career shift, you will need to acquire certain skills and knowledge. You have several options at your disposal.

The traditional route is to study computer science at a university or college to earn an academic degree. Many tech employers indeed favor university graduates, but earning a college degree entails a four-year commitment and a huge financial investment.

A second—and increasingly more popular—path is to attend a coding bootcamp. Bootcamps allow you to acquire the skills you need to have your foot in the door quickly. In less than 15 weeks of intense, practical training, you will learn the basics of your chosen profession and will be ready to apply for jobs.

More and more people are choosing coding bootcamps as opposed to studying full-time at a university. This is because bootcamps represent a much smaller time and money investment and are, therefore, considered the smarter alternative. Compare the average cost of a bootcamp—$13,500—to what a university degree could potentially cost. Earning a degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for example, costs between $60,000 and $70,000 per year, making the cost of a single semester a lot higher than that of an entire coding bootcamp.

Finally, many tech sector hopefuls choose to teach themselves. Depending on how disciplined and motivated you are, this could be the right option for you.

Seek Support

The journey is always easier with other like-minded people by your side. Fortunately, there are a few organizations and regular events to inspire young women to enter a career in tech and to support those who are already walking down that path.

Women in Technology (WIT) is an organization with one aim—advancing women in technology, from student to seasoned professional. To achieve its goal, WIT engages in leadership development, technology education, networking, and mentoring opportunities for women at all levels of their professional careers. The organization has over 1,000 members in the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia metro region.

Similarly named, Women in Tech, is an international organization that aims to close the gender gap and help women embrace technology. The organization focuses on four primary areas: education, entrepreneurialism, social inclusion, and science and innovation. The aim is to educate, equip, and empower women and girls with the necessary skills and confidence to succeed in STEM career fields.

The Women Tech Global Conference​​​​​​ is a virtual conference connecting thousands of women, minorities and their allies in tech through an interactive platform featuring keynotes, engaging panels, technical workshops, and a tech job fair with face-to-face networking sessions.​​​​​​​

How offices will change after COVID-19

As of writing this article, the COVID-19 is generally slowing down. There are still infections and even deaths. But the overall attitude is that the worst is behind us. So, how did the past couple of months affect companies and how will offices change after COVID-19? Well, that is what we are here to find out.

Different ways in which offices will change after COVID-19

The main thing to keep in mind about COVID-19 is that we are still not sure how to handle it properly. While there are numerous scientists from the WHO that advise stricter measures, the economic impact of those measures has us all a bit stumped. So, a lot of companies are still trying to figure out how to run their businesses as close to normal, without risking their employee's health. With this in mind, there are some notable ways in which offices will change after COVID-19. It is important to note that it will be up to companies themselves to evaluate which are the safest and most profitable ways of operating post-COVID-19, as there doesn't seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution.

More working from home

As of now, a lot of companies are still asking their workers to work from home. Even if their offices can accommodate the workers, working from home is safer and can even be more cost-effective for companies. Numerous companies will opt for having a core team working from the office, as they are needed to keep the company efficiency up to a certain standard. But the golden rule is that whoever can work from home, should. This, of course, is not always possible. But it is becoming more and more common, especially with legal firms and IT startups.

We should be a substantial, long-term increase in the number of people that work from home.

Less contact in the office space

The people working in the office are advised to have as little contact as possible. Fewer people working will allow companies to spread out their offices and give workers plenty of personal space. This is mostly to avoid contamination if someone is sick without realizing it. The long-term goal is to orient the office layout so that everyone can isolate themselves when they need to work.

This can be hard to do since we are not yet 100% sure how the coronavirus spreads. The idea was that it was quite like the common cold virus, but this is still being researched and disputed. Overall, the goal is to minimize in-office contacts as much as possible.

Moving to a larger office space

Unfortunately, not all companies have the necessary room to accommodate these changes. So, another way in which offices will change after COVID-19 is that companies will move into larger office spaces. Since numerous businesses have closed shops, office space is quite cheap, which should be quite fortunate for companies looking to relocate. The main goal will be to find large, open, easy-to-ventilate spaces that are easy to reorient according to need. This should be quite a notable change as even the heat is not enough to beat the coronavirus. This is why businesses in Florida seek more appropriate spaces, just as they do in larger, colder cities.

Even while working in the office, people will try to isolate themselves as much as possible.

Stricter safety measures

To help combat the coronavirus, most companies will opt for strict safety measures, at least for a future couple of months. These usually include:

·         Facemasks

·         Hand sanitizers

·         In some cases, gloves.

It is usually the people who have direct contact with customers or clients that will wear full gear. So, your secretaries and client managers will wear the full gear, to show both consideration and respect to their clients, and to protect themselves. How long will office workers continue to wear these safety measures is dependant on how long COVID-19 will be with us.

Sick leaves and preventive quarantines

If a person in the office does get sick, most company bosses are quite strict in them getting tested. A single person with the coronavirus can endanger the entire company. This is why it will be quite important for companies to catch infections in the early stages and isolate the worker. This is another reason why working from home will continue to be favorable and why offices are usually staffed with the most essential office workers.

What are companies trying to do

The main reason why offices will change after COVID-19 is that we want to avoid the second wave. If history can teach us anything, it's that the second wave of coronavirus is possible. So, companies need to do what they can in order to avoid it.

The main reason why offices will change after COVID-19 is to avoid another outbreak.

Now, while this may sound straightforward, it is actually a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, companies need to do what they can to protect their workers and the population at large. On the other, they need to bring their business as close to normal as possible, as that is when they are most profitable and efficient. This is best done by moving to large office spaces with companies like Vision Movers FL. But doing so is not always possible.

Will there be any lasting changes?

After the coronavirus pandemic is long-gone what can we say about how offices will change after COVID-19? Well, this is hard to tell, as making predictions that far in the future is difficult. But our guess is that companies will continue the work-from-home practice. If it shows good results, in the long run, more and more companies should opt for having their workers work from home offices. Working at coworking spaces has its benefits, no doubt. But, since companies don't have to pay for fuel or office space, having workers work from home can be quite a cost-effective way to run a company. So, there will be a lot for companies to figure out in the following years about how and where to run their business.

Related infographic : Corona Virus-Proof Business

Images:
https://pixabay.com/photos/coronavirus-virus-mask-corona-4914028/

https://pixabay.com/photos/student-typing-keyboard-text-woman-849824/

https://pixabay.com/photos/notebook-mac-imac-macbook-desk-1284085/

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/businessmen-communication-skyline-5243011/

How does Covid-19 impact your car accident claim?

COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines. But how could COVID-19 affect your claim to a car accident?

Personal injury lawyers understand the essential elements of your case is sometimes affected by the pandemic, but perhaps the most important things you need to know are: do not avoid seeking medical treatment or consulting with a personal injury lawyer. 

image:pixabay.com/photos/crash-car-car-crash-accident-1308575

Many people all over the country avoid trips and social activities because of the lockdown. If your driving trends have been severely affected, you may wonder if you should make any changes to your car insurance policy.

Personal Injury Lawyers Gold Coast provides some tips about the impacts of COVID-19 on your car accident claims

1. Delay in getting treatment

You may face some delays in completing your treatment depending on the nature of your treatment, and how severe your injuries are. If that is the case, it is essential that you keep in touch with your health care providers to record your pain and discomfort and try to organize your treatment as soon as possible.

If you have not been paid with surgeries or any emergency treatments, your counsel would not be able to legally apply the cost to your lawsuit with personal injuries. They can only present an estimate to insurance company for any recommended procedures. Unfortunately, such figures are scarcely regarded by insurance firms in their decisions.

 It is better to complete your entire treatment before proceeding with a prospective settlement.

2. Statutes of limitations 

Owing to COVID-19 trial delays or other obstacles beyond the power, statutes of limitations may be impacted. For some time certain states have postponed statutes of limitations. In others, waiver of limitations may be obtained with an electronically signed statute.

3. Delay in court schedules

Courts across the country either close or modify their processes to handle the cases as far as possible. That doesn't mean that cases won't proceed, but where possible, depositions, hearings and other events can be conducted electronically or via telephone or video conference.

Whether or not you can make a court appointment, your lawyer can still file your claim and start negotiating with the insurance agents. Settlement amounts can be electronically fixed and agreed upon. Nonetheless, the pace of litigation for personal injury claimants can be hindered by limited trial dates, because the court's case load may be extremely bottlenecks.

4. Insurers may fight tough

The insurance industry has seen a decline in profits, as has many other industries. That would mean we'll eventually see insurers fighting much harder for smaller payments. Which makes it all the more imperative which you do not want to settle your lawsuit for a traffic crash on your own.

Although we have seen several arbitration lawsuits since the lockdown has begun, we have lately had lowball demands from insurance firms, because it seems they are aware that the local courthouses have stopped jury selection and that a jury trial is actually unlikely.

The good thing is the insurance firms don't set the terms. We can file a lawsuit, and if necessary take your case to court hearing. You shouldn't settle for less. Even if the insurance provider may offer too little, your medical bills will not be lower than they had been before COVID-19

Don’t Delay in Hiring a Lawyer

If you intend to file a case over a traffic crash, contact a lawyer as early as possible. Your lawyer can work with your insurance company and potentially reach out maximum settlement. The litigation can be filed from a remote location by email, videoconferencing devices, and by telephone. That eliminates personal visits and the risk of exposure to the virus during your consultation

An experienced lawyer can help you get insurance to cover all the damages caused by an accident, such as medical expenses, missed salaries and vehicle repairs

If you're involved in a traffic accident, you have two choices as to whether you want to file a claim. Or you can Protect yourself by Hiring Car Accident Lawyers in Gold Coast who can defend you in a vehicle crash.