Pulsant Data Centre Services Engineer Pearl Albuquerque had been fascinated by technology since childhood, but breaking into an IT career proved to be a real challenge. Here she shares her thoughts on how to encourage more women into STEM subjects and why people should never give up.
How did you get into tech?
I've always been keen on technology, even as a child. I think computers fascinated me the most, how they worked, operated, their individual parts and so on. The older I grew the more curious I got.
I studied beginner level programming in school and somehow that was the only subject that made me happy. I then went on to do Business with IT in University. However, it wasn’t the breakthrough I was hoping for. It took me a while to get into the field and really understand what exactly about technology and computers it is that I’m more interested in.
Having a university degree just wasn’t enough. Everywhere I applied, a minimum of two years’ experience was a must, and there was tough competition for all the graduate programmes. I worked two odd jobs before I finally enrolled with a company called IT Career Switch. I completed several accredited courses and was able to secure a job with them.
It took a while, but three months ago I started a new role as a data centre service engineer with Pulsant. It couldn't have been any better. I'm grateful that my people leader saw the ambition and potential in me and gave me this chance.
Can you share your personal experiences navigating the tech landscape? What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Initially, it felt impossible. It was as though if you didn’t have two years’ experience then your CV was immediately rejected. Some companies wouldn’t even let you send in your CV if you had less than a year’s experience. I would wake up every morning to rejection emails and that felt very discouraging. But I knew it was only a matter of time until there would be some company looking to give freshers an opportunity, and I was lucky enough to experience it.
After a few months of relentless searching I finally had a few interviews lined up, so in the end it all did work out with a bit of patience.
Tech is constantly evolving. How much do you think the industry has changed since you joined?
To be honest, I’m very early on into my career, but the pace of change is so rapid that I’m sure five years down the line, things are going to be done so much more differently than now. I think it'd get easier if anything, the more technology evolves the more tech gadgets are introduced, which can help eliminate human error. Not only that, the industry is always striving to make better and more practical changes to older procedures.
How is your organisation supporting young people to enter the sector?
Pulsant has been looking into ways to motivate younger people into the field. They've started doing graduate and apprenticeship programmes and many of those people have progressed into more senior, expert roles within the company. All our people are provided with growth and career advancement opportunities. It’s a great advantage for freshers like me who join at entry level and can further advance in the same field or, if you have an interest in another specialism or development area, you are given the opportunity to grow your career.
What are some tangible ways companies can move beyond just talking about diversity and make an impact?
Increasing diversity in the workforce increases visibility of people from diverse backgrounds accessing STEM careers. That’s important because research shows young people rule out certain careers at an early stage because they don’t see people like them doing those jobs. There are a lot of challenges for young people getting a foothold into fulfilling careers in the current climate, so I think apprenticeships and graduate programmes are a great place to start. Kudos to the companies offering these but we need more of them, especially in industries like ours which underpins long-term economic growth in areas like AI.
A positive culture which champions people from all backgrounds and makes sure everyone can contribute is also important, as are practical measures like making sure STEM women have access to suitable facilities or even work clothing in male-dominated environments. We even need to think about the language we use, to avoid everyday unconscious bias.
What’s one industry change you’d love to see within the next five years?
I'd love to see more opportunities for youngsters and women in tech. I think it's a competitive field – at least it was for me. I'd genuinely like to see more women being represented in a male dominated field, it would be refreshing. Government and companies could come up with initiatives to get curious-minded youngsters involved in the industry and maybe provide them with basic training. That could grow their interest from a young age.
Technology is a vast subject, and it can get quite overwhelming to understand which field specifically suits us best. Targeted programmes would really help a person understand if they're particularly keen on a very specific subject and that, in turn, would help them make a better decision early on. There's a lot of benefit on both sides – companies get fresh perspectives and more women feel encouraged to venture into the field.