Career Pathways in Technology

Despite making up 30% of the STEM workforce, women in Africa face significant barriers to career advancement, including gender bias and limited opportunities for skills development. By addressing the systemic barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential in tech, African corporates can unlock the continent's full potential for innovation and growth. At a country level, South Africa and Nigeria emerged as leaders, with the largest number of listed companies having women occupying CxO roles. Notably, nearly two-thirds of companies with female tech leaders are in financial services, energy and materials, or consumer goods and retail, with financial services having the highest female CxO representation at around 20 percent. Read the report by my McKinsey Africa colleagues, Mayowa Kuyoro, Umar Bagus, and Krutika Dharmadhikary: https://mck.co/46sIE7i #WomenInSTEM #DiversityAndInclusion #AfricaTech

Becoming a good SAP consultant in 2025 means evolving beyond just technical skills. It’s about combining domain expertise, hands-on SAP experience, soft skills, and future-readiness. Here's a roadmap to help you out: 1️⃣𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 ↳ Functional: (e.g., SAP FICO, MM, SD...) ↳ Technical: (e.g., ABAP, RAP, SAP BTP, SAP Build....) ↳ Analytics: (e.g., SAP BW/4HANA....) ↳ Cloud/Infra: (e.g., SAP BTP, SAP S/4HANA Cloud, RISE with SAP) 𝐓𝐢𝐩: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝—𝐞.𝐠., 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐎, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏. 2️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: ↳ Technical consultant: ABAP on HANA, RAP, CDS, OData, SAP BTP, CI/CD ↳ Functional consultant: Business processes, configuration in SAP modules, integration touchpoints ↳ Cloud consultant: SAP BTP, CAP, SAP Build, SAP Integration Suite 3️⃣𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 2025 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 ↳ SAP BTP (AI, low-code/no-code with SAP Build) ↳ SAP RAP & CAP models ↳ Integration with AI and automation tools (like Joule, SAP AI Core) ↳ Rise with SAP & Clean Core concept 4️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 ↳ Client communication: Explain solutions in simple terms. ↳ Problem-solving: Go beyond what's obvious. ↳ Team collaboration: Especially important in hybrid/remote setups. 5️⃣ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬 ↳ Join SAP learning journeys, hands-on bootcamps, or internships. ↳ Use SAP free trial systems or SAP Learning Hub. 6️⃣ 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 (𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠) ↳ SAP certifications (e.g., SAP Certified Development Associate – ABAP for SAP S/4HANA) help, but real knowledge > paper ↳ Combine certification with portfolio and practical experience 7️⃣ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 & 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞) ↳ Share what you learn. ↳ Write blogs/tutorials. ↳ Join SAP community forums. ↳ Network with other consultants. 8️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 ↳ Follow experts like Chirag Thakkar↗(FICO), Prashun Shetty (MM), Aman Sharief(SD), Avnikant Singh 🇮🇳 (EAM), Ganesh Padala(SCM), Rahul Narain Saxena(SD), Wouter van Heddeghem who are in aspiring others. ↳ Attend SAP Inside Tracks, TechEd, SAP Community events 9️⃣ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 ↳ SAP isn’t just tech—it’s solving business problems. ↳ Understand KPIs, pain points, and how SAP modules address them. 🔟 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ↳ SAP is changing fast. Set aside weekly learning time. ↳ Subscribe to: ↳ SAP Learning Hub ↳ SAP Learning Paths (Free Source) ↳ YouTube channels and newsletters (e.g., SAP Community, SAP Press)

Innovation knows no gender. Reflecting on my journey as an engineer over the past 25 years, from stepping into the workforce to witnessing the remarkable strides women have made today, I am struck by both the progress achieved and the many challenges that persist. When I started my career in the late 90s, women engineers were a handful and today, I'm heartened to see more women not only entering the field but also pioneering innovations and driving meaningful change. ➡️ However, looking at the numbers, in 2023, men outnumbered women in global engineering by 86.3% to 13.7%. And despite the demand for tech skills, women constitute only 28% of engineering graduates globally. In STEM fields, they make up 33% of researchers but hold just 12% of national science academy memberships. ➡️The leaky STEM pipeline begins early and persists over time. It is not just enough to keep feeding the pipeline by increasing the number of female students. It is imperative to work towards breaking gender stereotypes through early investment in reskilling and the promotion of STEM education. Apart from making STEM education more fun and engaging, introduction to female role models and mentors can help change stereotypical perceptions related to these subjects and inspire more girls to choose and work in the area. ➡️I see technology as an enabler here. Achieving equal representation of women in the tech industry requires a collaborative effort from organisations, academia, and government bodies. At the organisational level, tech firms should focus on creating supportive structures that not only attract but also retain and nurture female professionals. Flexible working policies, improved leave and well-being benefits, and support networks serve as key factors in promoting women in the workplace. Investing in training and mentorship programs is essential to equip high-potential women technologists with the necessary skills for leadership roles. Initiatives like involving female employees in the recruitment process, hosting career fairs, and offering internship programs can help organisations move towards a more gender-balanced workforce. The future of engineering is bright, and women are an integral part of that future. By continuing to support and celebrate women in engineering, we are investing in a world where innovation knows no gender, and where the contributions of all are valued and recognized. #InternationalWomenInEngineeringDay 🎉✨

"Across the world, gender norms and expectations that dictate what subjects boys and girls are cut out for and pursue continue to perpetuate within education systems. Low expectations of their STEM abilities and limited career opportunities tampers girls’ attitudes towards STEM education and aspirations to pursue STEM careers. In emerging economies, girls face the additional hurdle of unequal access to digital assets and skills. As a result, women remain significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up almost half (49.3%) of total employment across non-STEM occupations but just 29.2% of all STEM workers. Attrition, especially at the very early career stages, is significant. While the percentage of female STEM graduates entering into STEM employment is increasing with every cohort, the numbers show that the retention of women in STEM, even one year after graduating, sees a significant drop. The drop to the top is also more pronounced in STEM, as women currently account for 29.4% of entry-level workers but only 12.4% of C-Suite executives. Given STEM occupations are likely to dominate the jobs of the future and offer much higher earning potential, we will only be able to close broader gaps in workforce participation, pay and leadership if we create stronger pathways for girls and women to progress in STEM education and careers." #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels https://lnkd.in/eDdDADvk

Here’s what I learned from researching why there are so few senior women.. In the late 1990s, I undertook a major research project examining why a prominent tech organisation had minimal women in senior leadership. 💡 The conclusion challenged assumptions: the company wasn't discriminating. Instead, their entire operational culture - policies, promotion processes, unwritten norms - favoured a single archetype. The 'work hard, play hard' employee for whom work was life. This model suited some individuals. But it excluded many capable people and, critically, didn't optimise performance or business outcomes. And this is the case in countless organisations today. The recommendations then focused on structural interventions: flexible working arrangements, equitable parental leave, transparent promotion criteria. Various organisations implemented some of these changes. Twenty-five years later, the evidence suggests limited impact. Women CEOs declined from 28% to 19% between 2023 and 2024 (Grant Thornton International Business Report, 2024). Progress has reversed. Through three decades of resilience research, organisational consulting, and executive coaching, I've observed a consistent pattern: ❗Accomplished women leaders are declining senior positions. Not from inability or lack of ambition, but through informed choice about unsustainable cultural demands and behavioural norms. ❌ They're declining cultures that require suppressing their humanity, carrying disproportionate caring responsibilities, conforming to narrow leadership templates, prioritising short-term metrics over sustainable success, and excluding emotional intelligence from professional competence. The business case for change is robust. Research demonstrates that gender-diverse executive teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones across multiple performance indicators. But we can't achieve that diversity by simply setting targets while continuing to reward the same narrow set of behaviours. We must fundamentally alter what we recruit for and reward, and the psychological safety to be human. Hustle culture doesn't optimise performance - it degrades it. Exhausted brains make worse decisions. Burnout isn't a badge of honour; it's a design flaw. ✅ We need work cultures built for how humans actually thrive. Where empathy and emotional intelligence are assets, not liabilities. Where having a life outside work isn't seen as lack of commitment. Where multiple leadership styles are valued. This isn't gender opposition - it's about recognising that balanced leadership perspectives create healthier organisational ecosystems. For everyone. If we aspire to organisations that genuinely thrive and contribute positively to broader society, we need culture redesign based on human sustainability, not inherited industrial models. ⁉️ The question isn't why women decline these opportunities. It's why our leadership cultures make that the sensible response.

56% of women leave the tech industry 10-20 years into their careers - double the rate of men – just at the time when they should (in theory) be moving into leadership positions. We aren’t getting enough women into tech in the first place and we’re not keeping those we do have. Less senior women in tech means less female tech role models, which sends a message to more junior women that they’ll struggle to build a successful career in the industry. If we fail at retention, we’re much more likely to fail at recruitment too – neither are an option. The World Economic Forum predicts that 70% of the next decade's economic value will be driven by digitalisation, but we have a global tech talent shortage that threatens to seriously undermine that growth. An obvious solution would surely be to make the industry more appealing, welcoming, and supportive for the 50% of the population that feel disenfranchised by it. Instead, Miriam Partington reports for Sifted that “bro” culture continues to reign – one respondent from Sifted’s latest women in tech survey wrote “I see no future for myself at all in technology…I am repeatedly burnt out after years of this toxic masculine culture.” It’s a sentiment matched in a LinkedIn post I read earlier this week filled with comments from women in tech choosing, despite loving their work, to “bow out” of an industry they felt was stacked against them. It's 2024 and we are nowhere close to creating an industry where women feel safe, valued and appreciated. It's so frustrating and disappointing. Change must be intentional – it won’t just get better on its own. We have to be intentional about training, hiring, and promoting women in tech, which requires being intentional in creating cultures where women can achieve their full potential. I’d argue that it starts with gender pay equity, which is a priority for me at Kyriba right now. We have to signal support for women from the top – and compensation feels a pretty critical place to start. https://bit.ly/3WRXO1D

I frequently encounter professionals who attribute hiring challenges to degree misalignment rather than examining how they position their qualifications.   This perspective creates unnecessary limitations and overlooks a fundamental hiring reality: employers prioritize problem-solving capability over academic credentials when both factors compete for consideration.   Successful career transitions happen when professionals reframe their educational background: • Highlighting transferable competencies developed through any rigorous academic program • Demonstrating how diverse educational experiences provide unique analytical perspectives • Connecting academic projects and coursework to real business challenges • Positioning non-traditional backgrounds as competitive advantages rather than deficits   The most effective placements I've facilitated often involve candidates whose degrees don't directly align with their target roles.   What distinguishes them is their ability to articulate how their educational foundation contributes to solving employer challenges.   Rather than viewing your degree as a constraint, consider how your academic experience developed thinking patterns, research abilities, and analytical frameworks that apply across multiple industries and functions.   Your educational background equipped you with problem-solving methodologies - the application domain is often more flexible than you assume.   How have you successfully leveraged an "unrelated" educational background in your career progression?   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #transferableskills #careertransition #educationalbackground #careerstrategist

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿! I am delighted to share my latest research, "𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀," published in the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Management. Women make up nearly half of the global population but are still significantly underrepresented in tech leadership and entrepreneurship. My study dives deep into the opportunities and challenges faced by women leading social-impact tech startups, shedding light on: 💡 How women are leveraging technology to address societal issues like education, healthcare, and sustainability. 💡 The contrasting experiences between mature ecosystems in industrialized nations (e.g., the UK and the US) and emerging markets like India. 💡 Barriers such as funding gaps, networking limitations, and sociocultural hurdles. 💡 Innovative business models and leadership approaches that women are championing to drive community-oriented and sustainable growth. The findings underscore the importance of tailored support from policymakers, investors, and organizations to empower women in tech entrepreneurship and amplify their role in driving social change. I hope this research inspires more female innovators and contributes to building ecosystems that foster inclusivity and impact. Feel free to read, share, and discuss! Let’s keep the conversation going to create a future where women in tech entrepreneurship thrive globally. #WomenInTech #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Research #TechForGood

Women are still underrepresented in Australia’s tech sector, and the gap starts early. By the time students reach university, many young women have already ruled out careers in tech — mainly because they don’t see it as a viable path for them. While IT was one of my favourite subjects in school (shoutout Shane Skillen Brendon Thomas) I still felt daunted by STEM degrees and thought Tech was for ultra high performing, deeply analytical minds. But here’s the thing — tech isn’t just coding or highly technical as the name suggests. The industry is full of roles in strategy, product, design, finance, operations and beyond. With alternate career paths becoming more common, there are so many ways to enter the space, even without a traditional STEM degree. A recent Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand remuneration survey found that less than half of its members have “Accountant” in their job title. That’s proof of increasing career diversity and evolution in areas of expertise. Skillsets are transferable — something we should be telling young women early on. There’s too much pressure on young people to choose the right degree at the outset. Reality is, there are many successful career paths that can thrive without traditional qualifications. However, you can’t be what you can’t see. There is so much importance in visibility of female founders, tech leaders and innovators through mentorship, guest talks and career development programs. Tech isn’t just for people who love maths and coding — it’s for problem solvers, creatives and big picture thinkers. Encouraging girls to experiment with coding, product design and entrepreneurship can make Tech more accessible. School programs, hackathons and early work experiences all help build confidence. Let’s help more young women see that tech is a place where they can belong, build and lead. Let’s open doors and help them explore opportunities. Here are some powerhouse women to follow in this space: — Annie Liao 🇦🇺 — Patricia Haueiss — Casey Flint What else can we do to support women exploring careers in tech?

Every day, I speak with multiple businesses across Australia about getting more women into tech... but what about the ones who are leaving? Tech is an industry of innovation, problem-solving, and huge opportunity, yet we’re still losing women every year! From speaking to multiple women each and every week, here’s what I’m hearing; 👉 Many women are still hitting the glass ceiling. They see their peers being promoted over them, despite equal (or greater) experience and impact. Without visibility, sponsorship, and a clear path to leadership, many start questioning if the industry is worth it. 👉 Cultural issues, from microaggressions to being the only woman in the room, many feel unheard and undervalued. 👉 The pressure to overperform just to be seen, combined with outdated workplace policies, is pushing women out. Flexible work, parental leave, and psychological safety aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re essentials. 👉 Women don’t just need advice; they need decision-makers advocating for them in rooms they’re not in. Without that, climbing the ladder becomes exhausting. I’ve spent over 12 years working in tech recruitment, hosting panels with some of the most brilliant women in the industry, and running Sisterhood Club to create spaces where women can thrive in tech. I know this problem isn’t going away unless leaders step up. That’s exactly why I started: The Big Sister Mentorship Program – connecting women with senior leaders who advocate for them, not just advise them. Career Confidence Podcast – featuring real conversations on career growth, leadership, and what it really takes to succeed. Workshops & Sisterhood Socials – because women need spaces to upskill, connect, and support each other in an industry that still isn’t designed for them. We must acknowledge that Retention is just as important as attraction. Are you ensuring women have clear career growth opportunities? Are your workplace policies built for everyone? Are you actively advocating for and sponsoring women in your teams? Tech needs women. And not just at the entry level; we need them leading, innovating, and shaping the future. What else can be done to keep women in the tech industry? Let me know your thoughts