• Perspectives
  • 10 February 2021

Women on the rise in technology

Meet two of our female colleagues who are making an impact in their respective departments at Bank of Singapore. They give insights into what women bring to the table in a mostly male-centric environment, and why the future is bright for women in tech.

Kathrynne Carrasco feels that women in the technology field must not be afraid to speak up if they have good ideas.

Software engineer Kathrynne Carrasco joined Bank of Singapore three years ago. In her 11-year career in the tech arena, she has worked for multinational companies, moving from a support role to engineering.

Her main responsibilities at the Bank involve managing client data during the onboarding process.

Asked what her strengths are as a woman in tech, and Kathrynne says: “I am proud to say that I am able to bring unique perspectives to solutioning.”

She adds: “I can code, yet use empathy to navigate the environment. I believe this brings value to the teams I work with and the clients we service.”

She adds that while men tend to have impressive technical skills, women tend to exhibit better attention to detail. “Having both perspectives will result in a better end-product,” she adds.

And although the field is still largely male-centric, she sees a bright future for women.

“The field is booming, and the possibilities are limitless, whether you are a man or a woman,” she says. “Right now, it is not unusual to see just three women in a room full of men, but that is slowly changing.”

For fellow women in the field, Kathrynn says that one must not be afraid to assert oneself.

“Don’t be afraid to speak up if you have good ideas and remember that your opinion matters as much as the next person’s,” she says. “If people underestimate you, use that to your advantage and surprise them.”

She adds: “Women need to have a better understanding of the roles available, and to think of the field as gender-agnostic. All one needs is a passion for learning and the enthusiasm for work in a fast-paced environment.”

Estella Koh advises young women who are thinking about embarking on a career in technology to believe in their own abilities.

Estella Koh chose to pursue a career in technology because it will have her “always being at the forefront of something new”.

“Technology is always advancing,” she says. “That means it is constantly exciting, but also that there will be ample opportunities throughout one’s career.”

The aerospace engineering graduate was hired as a Technology Associate at Bank of Singapore in 2019 and spent the past year moving through different technology departments at the bank, from working with DevOps to the digital marketing team.

Although she had little prior coding experience, she worked with her line manager to build her knowledge using the Bank’s learning and development resources.

“I had to learn from the ground-up, but in just a few months, I was working on coding dashboards from scratch, and working on projects involving online trading and Devops,” says Estella. She adds that her confidence is on a high, and she has set her sights on being able to work on large-scale projects at the Bank in time to come.

Thanks to her experiences, being a woman in tech does not faze her, even though she is in the minority, she says.

“I was one in a handful of women when I was a student of engineering, so you could say that I am used to the environment,” she says. “But importantly, my personal experience at the Bank has been that one is treated as an equal, and judged on one’s capabilities, rather than gender.”  

To young women thinking about embarking on a career in technology, she has this to say: “Some might be intimidated at the thought of working in a male-centric field. My advice is to believe in your own abilities.”

For those just entering the workforce, she says: “Do your own homework to constantly develop your skills and do not be afraid to ask for guidance from the experts around you. This will build your capabilities and your confidence.”

 

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Version: July 2020