“We’ve made good progress by making sure we’re doing more of the ‘right’ things which we believe will, in time, start to turn the dial and create a better, more diverse place to work.”
Chris Cochrane
Chief Information Technology Officer
I’m proud of the diverse and inclusive environment we’re building at M&G, where our employees feel they can bring their true selves to work. My Technology team is lucky to benefit from a broad mix of colleagues with different backgrounds, experiences, and skillsets – and all that helps give us more perspectives, more opinions, and better outcomes. I chatted to four colleagues about why they chose a career in technology and asked them to share their perspectives on diversity, as well as some of the barriers getting into the sector.
Ian Brakspear
Technical Specialist - Employee Technology Adoption
What made you choose a career in technology?
I knew I wanted to work in technology from an incredibly early age. Whilst at pre-school I used to sit under the computer table and turn the desktop off and back on whenever there was an issue with it. From that point onwards I started taking a real interest in understanding how technology works, and how people can get the most out of it.
Do you feel there are any barriers getting into technology?
This depends on a few things – everyone’s experience is different – but one thing I’ve noticed since working in technology is that the stereotypical view that everyone is “a massive techie” just isn't true... there are a range of roles and so plenty of different opportunities which cater for every skill set.
Jayven Sandy
Application Rationalisation Project Manager
What made you choose a career in technology?
If I’m completely honest, I liked IT and spreadsheets at secondary school and I decided then that technology was where I wanted to work. I continued to pursue IT throughout my studies which helped confirm that this is the sector I wanted to work in.
Do you feel there are any barriers getting into technology?
On the contrary! The main 'barrier' I've noticed is that virtually every company, across all sectors has a Technology department... when I started out, I was told to look at 'techie companies', but the reality is that technology is now such a big part of our lives that there are roles everywhere.
Scott Kerr
Security Engagement & Planning Lead + M&G Pride Network Co-Chair
What made you choose a career in technology?
The main reason for choosing technology, specifically cyber security, was the exciting prospect of working in a fast-paced environment focused on innovation and delivery whilst having to carefully manage a turbulent and evolving risk environment.
Do you think there is a lack of diversity in the IT and tech sector?
Yes, there’s been great progress over the last few years, but I still believe there’s more to do to increase diversity, in all forms and at all levels. For example, women make up 19% of the tech workforce, which is 30% lower compared to other sectors; and only 15% of the tech workforce are from BAME (Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds. Additionally, if I put on the LGBT+ lens, it’s incredibly difficult to measure representation, as studies indicate more than a third of LGBT+ staff in UK have hidden their sexual orientation or gender identity in fear of discrimination.
Sneha Naik
Analyst - Enterprise Security
What made you choose a career in technology?
Prior to joining M&G, I was a Learning and Development professional well versed in designing and developing high-quality training programs. Even though technology was completely new to me, it had a skillset that tied in well with my capabilities developed from the learning and development team. So, I decided to take the challenge and started applying the experience that I had, and learnt all about cyber security and tech. It’s been a fantastic learning journey which continues to this day!
Do you think there is a lack of diversity in the IT and tech sector?
The technology sectors are slowly making diversity a priority, but the main challenge is making people aware of the variety of career opportunities available. It’s important to encourage and grow the industry by inspiring and empowering more young talent to consider careers in technology.
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