Wired for Connection 2: Tips and Advice from a Trailblazing Woman in Tech

Amanda Stewart is the managing director and CTO of Illuminate, an Edinburgh based MSP with a big heart and even bigger mission.

Amanda is also a trailblazer in encouraging young women into tech and she recently became chair of the Advancing Women in IT group of GTIA.

An Interview With Amanda StewartThe Importance of Female Role Models in Tech

While there are more women in the tech industry now, Amanda still feels that girls, especially in the UK, don’t realise that this is an area they can work in. There’s a lack of female role models, she says, to show them what it could be like in the IT sector.

“And you can’t be what you can’t see. So I think it’s important that we get people into schools where you can tell girls about they opportunities that are available to them. And they can work in the tech space without doing a technical role.

“So organisations need to put people first to get young women through the door. The younger generation want to work in companies where the managers care about their staff, health and wellbeing and the environment. And it’s especially important to women, because they feel comfortable.”

A Business Success and a Business Challenge

Lenka and Vera asked Amanda to share examples of highs and lows in her career, and she opted to start with a positive one first: “Estelle Johannes at GTIA (formerly CompTIA) has always been so supportive of me and my business.

“She encouraged me to speak on stage, even though I didn’t want to. I spoke about how to advance women in tech, and while I didn’t enjoy the experience, I got fantastic feedback afterwards.” Amanda then shared a low point:

“I’m in a peer group of fellow MSPs, and several of the members took the time to point out where my business was going wrong. It was hard to hear after being my own boss for so long, but they supported me to fix the problem and how to manage the business in future.”

Tips for Managing Stress

Amanda admits that she hasn’t always been great at managing stress, although she’s improved as she’s got older. But as a new business owner and mum to two small children, it was very hard to do.

“When you’re in that situation you don’t have a choice. You’ve just got to get on with it. But because I was just going day by day, I wasn’t thinking about the trajectory of the business. I had no growth plans.

“And of course, I stored up years’ worth of stress that eventually all just came out at once. So that’s taught me that I need to take time off and time away from the business. I bake bread, or I do some art. It quiets my mind. And I trust the peer groups I’m in to give me help and support as well. Everyone shares their tips with each other”

Why Women Struggle to Value Their Own Experience

There’s a big difference in how women approach new situations compared to their male peers. Women often don’t value their skills and experiences, while men are comfortable with sharing their successes.

This is especially the case in the IT sector. Amanda says: “I’ve probably been in the industry longer than most people in my peer group, and yet I still get imposter syndrome and think I don’t know as much about a topic as I should.”

Amanda also shares the challenges of being menopausal or perimenopausal. It’s important that women are able to talk openly and comfortably about it in the office, and for managers to work with them to find ways to manage it. Amanda takes a team member with her to meetings to remind her of what to talk about.

The Best and Worst Parts of Working in IT

What Amanda loves about being in the IT space is that there’s always something new coming out. “Other industries have to do CPD annually, but we get things thrown at us every single day. It’s a fast-paced industry and it’s exciting. And we get to help people, which I love.”

Of course, there are still things about the industry that Amanda would like to change. And that is simply to get more women into the industry. “I interview a lot of teenage girls to find out what they know about STEM and IT, and they don’t know anything.

“It’s a depressing conversation to have. STEM subjects aren’t taught to them in an exciting way, so they don’t consider it as an option. And we know that there’s a huge gender bias globally, so we need to make our voices heard in order to eliminate it.”

How to get Younger Children Interested in Tech

The good news is, we can encourage children into tech at a young age. There are books such as the Rebel Girls series that shares the stories of famous women in all industries, including STEM. Amanda adds:

“Parents can talk about tech so they understand it. We go into to schools with old kit and let the kids take it all apart. I make sure that the girls get to do it too. They get excited because it’s hands-on and a bit different.

“And you’d be surprised by how many schools want the input from our industry. They want us to show the kids what the future could look like for them. We talk about apprenticeships, the money they can make and the opportunities to travel once they’re a bit older, too.”

How to Connect With Amanda StewartIlluminate ITFollow Illuminate IT on LinkedInConnect with Amanda on LinkedInHow to Connect With Vera TucciT-ConsultingFollow T-Consulting on LinkedInFollow T-Consulting on FacebookFollow T-Consulting on TwitterConnect with Vera on LinkedInHow to Connect With Richard Tubb/Follow TubbTalkSubscribe to TubbTalk RSS feedSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk in iTunesSubscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on Stitcher RadioSubscribe and rate TubbTalk on SpotifyFollow TubbTalk on iHeartRadioFollow @tubblog on TwitterMentioned in This EpisodeEnvironmental business certification: BCorpMSP community group: GTIA (formerly CompTIA)Senior Director, Regional Groups at GTIA: Estelle JohannesBook: Caroline Criado-Perez: Invisible Women: the Sunday Times number one bestseller exposing the gender bias women face every day
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