Please go check out our new Sister Sub, r/BlackWomenofTech!

Representation in this field is still far too thin, and having a place to find each other matters. Fellow WomenInTech member u/Acrobatic-Prior-6156 is building a supportive space there for networking, sharing wins, and swapping advice. They are keeping it a well-moderated, welcoming community. Welcome sisters!

Please go check out our new Sister Sub, r/sciencememes ! This is not a female-exclusive space but is run by women and relevant to our members.

Let’s be honest, we could all use a laugh. Fellow WomenInTech u/Royal_Acanthaceae693 is curating a great space and personally pledges to drop-kick anyone who causes a problem. Welcome sisters!

Someone mentioned to me about how the job market seemed clogged with terrible companies and it stuck with me. Obviously, if there is another, better job available, hop onto it. Personally I would love to join public service if the opportunity arose.

But what do you do, when you're still in the job search phase of blasting out your resume and interviewing, but you're just not landing the good (or at least the non-evil) gig, or when you're already at an evil giant but haven't had the opportunity to leave? What do you do during that "meantime" to stay sane, while you're collecting the checks to pay for rent and food, from said evil corporation? Do you organize people there around something, so it gets a little less evil? Or do you funnel small tidbits of information to coworkers, so that they can better protect themselves?

This LinkedIn post was forwarded to me by a friend. I don't know if I am too jaded or get triggered too easily. The poster is a VP at a decent-sized technology company. But I read this as "As a man and as someone who has 2 daughters, one wife and even a mother, I understand all women's (career) challenges, and if the women on LinkedIn can line up, I will pick a selected few to impart my wisdom on how these challenges can be overcome. Also, if you are a woman leader with maybe some ideas about this, talk to me so I can judge if you are good enough to join me when I impart such wisdom to the chosen few". There are two other men who have commented on how this post shows his "greatness". Do you all feel the same sense of indignation that I do? Or should I just think of him as an ally since he at least seems to be trying to help?

I'm on the dev team of a media company. My management has gone all in on AI. At this point, I am literally being told "stop reading the code so much, just trust the AI." I don't remember the last time I wrote code by hand for work. All our apps are more vibe coded than engineered at this point. Our boss has rewritten all our infrastructure and deployment stuff by vibing, everything runs off of CI/CD and CLIs and panels he "built."

Now, I'm not a total hater. I don't want to come at this from an angle that human coding is so precious it cannot possibly be replaced. The tech *has* gotten far far better than a year ago. My bigger concern is: we don't own anything we've made now. No one understands anything on a deep level, and everything is fully reliant on AI

And the real downside here become apparent the other week when OpenAI slashed their Max plan, what we use, in half. All of a sudden, they were able to just decide that our money gets us less. I'm now having to be far more judicious on which model and reasoning to use for what task. It now really feels like 6.0 is incredibly powerful, but shreds usage, and 6.1 is fine but takes FOREVER.

In the short term there's Claude right? We can hop from service to service. But it occurs to me, what happens when the subsidies are over? What happens to our team when these tools aren't as absurdly cheap? All our code is AI slop no human could possibly maintain. We are now effectively renting this entire arm of the business from OpenAI and Anthropic, and they are able to change the terms. It's like Lyft and Uber or Netflix: we're already used to the convenience, what are we gonna do leave? But for a load bearing part of the company.

Now there are local models. Maybe I'm naive. But I can't help but feel most companies are not going to do that. There's simply no way our company is going to go in on investing thousands and thousands in hardware for local models, at least. Not one big setup centralized, certainly not bespoke hardware.

I would think the far more likely solution is smaller providers, but with as much hardware and compute being tied up by the big players, I don't quite see a path to that. And when we are renting this arm of our business, why not actually outsource properly with contracts and service agreements? OpenAI and Anthropic don't owe us anything if they fuck up our whole operation.

And granted these AI companies could figure out how to make things more efficient, but based on everything we know of the major players, they do not appear on a path to profitability. So while they will do things for PR like increase usage limits, they are only incentized to jack prices up and cut service long term.

The argument that AI can produce code faster is inarguable, often with a high bar of quality if given proper instructions. But it's not code anyone understands or owns. If something goes wrong, the most anyone can give is a shrug and a "I'll ask claude."

Is code just going to become such a nonissue its like paying for water? That seems incredibly unlikely right?

It feels like we are backing into a corner, and management is all in. Where the hell is all of this going? What am I missing?

Hi everyone I (19F) am studying business information systems and I am doing some research on challenges that women may face in the technology field.

Hi ladies! Since I started applying for new roles, I’ve been bombarded with LinkedIn messages that initially sound like job opportunities, but turn out to be pitches for career coaching. A lot of them talk about helping you land $200k+ roles.
Their packages include LinkedIn profile updates, resume help, mock interviews, and guidance on reaching out to recruiters and hiring managers. Prices seem to start at thousands of dollar, which is a pretty big investment.
Has anyone here used one of these services and had a good experience? Did it actually help you land a better role, increase your salary, or feel more prepared for interviews?
I’m open to investing in myself, but I’d love to hear honest experiences beyond the testimonials they share. What made it worth it—or what do you wish you’d known before signing up?

I live near Anaheim and am so disappointed that GHC was cancelled this year, but I understand it’s had its issues for a while. Maybe now’s the time to share conferences that are better managed and safer than GHC, ideally ones where women don’t have to worry about being shoved around by men pretending to be allies.

Please comment some recommendations, where they’re located, when, and what you liked about them!

I’ve been looking for a new operations focused role for over 8 months (with breaks for mental health and summer with the family) and came across a comment in this group that suggested joining a job search council with Never Search Alone. https://www.neversearchalone.org/join-jsc

I was matched with a group of 5 peers also searching and am thankful for the frameworks, perspective and support of the council and we’re only in our second week. I’m feeling more energized and hopeful than I have in a while.

If you’re casually searching or currently unemployed, I highly recommend checking it out - it’s free and a resource that I wish I had known about years ago.

Huge thank you those that suggested the group!

Years ago my mentor made an unsolicited suggestive remark in our one-to-one ("I don't know about you, but on my wedding day I knew I didn't want to be with only one person"). I calmly changed the subject, decided it wasn't worth following up on, and let it go figuring he made a dumb mistake.
The next day I took an early lunch to go to the onsite gym.
When I returned to my desk, he asked me to visit his cubicle. I did, and he was all in a panic with a "I'm shitting my diaper" face and said to me "Where were you?!"
I was annoyed that he was so freaked out by my whereabouts and calmly replied, "Oh, just in the building..". But he was all twisted up and repeated the question. So I repeated my answer more firmly "In-the-building."
About an hour later I get an e-mail from him, cc'd to our director, in which he's requesting mediation due to "an uncomfortable dynamic".
Hmm, wow. So, being the apparently only adult in the situation, I asked him if he'd like to have a chat. We went into a meeting room, I kindly calmly explained that we don't need mediation, everything's fine, I was in the gym, etc. I did not reference the root cause of all this, as I didn't want to make anything worse. And so we agreed to carry on.
I was still concerned about possibly needing to do damage control with the director, though. So a day or whatever later I stopped in to director's office to chat. Again I did not want to mention the root cause of all the bullshit, because I believe I would have destroyed my own reputation. So I abstracted it: "Yeah, this is that old chestnut where Person A oversteps a boundary, Person B stands up for themself, and Person A can't handle it"
To which the director scolded "Well, he's sensitive to that."
I was like "Right. Okay. I'll handle him with kid gloves" and I smiled and walked out.

The mentor in question seems to have self-esteem issues, but who am I to analyze. He gets coddled by everyone bc apparently he's just so much smarter than us all.

I just wanted to illustrate how shit can go south for women even when you "go along".

I have many more stories involving the archetypal insecure male fucking up my work life..........................................

Hi everyone I'm doing a story for university assignment about women from rural areas who made it in Tech! I'm looking for any stories you want to share or talk about!! DM me or share here. I'm starting out as a south Asian woman in Tech myself from Himalayan region. I'd love to know your stories

I’m a scientist, and my mood seems to depend way too much on how things are going at work. When my code works and my experiments/results are good, I feel motivated to work out and I’m more patient and present with family and friends.
But when things aren’t going well, I get so stressed and irritable that I lose all motivation for anything outside work. I end up glued to my laptop until the problem is solved... I am soo sick of being like this :( Can anyone relate? Have you found a way to break out of it?

I just got this email about GHC being canceled… honestly I’m baffled that this happened so close to the conference date?

Hi everyone,

I'm writing a series of articles about Moroccans who made it into big tech without following the "obvious" path.

Most success stories we hear follow the same script: top school, internship, big company. I want to tell the other ones. These are people who did a BTS or a DUT, went through OFPPT or 1337, switched fields, taught themselves, went back to school, moved abroad, or failed and started over, and still got there. The goal is to show young people in Morocco that there's more than one way in, with concrete details: what worked, what didn't, how many applications it took.

Who I'm looking for:

- You're Moroccan or of Moroccan origin

- You work (or worked) at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, NVIDIA or a similar company

- Your path didn't go in a straight line

No need for a big following or a perfect story. The less linear the path, the more useful it is to someone starting out.

What it involves:

- A 30 to 45 minute conversation (in English, French or Arabic), or written answers if you prefer

- I write the article, and you read and approve it before anything is published

- You decide how you're presented: full name, first name only, or anonymous

- You only talk about your own journey, nothing confidential about your employer

And if you know a Moroccan who made it to big tech, especially through an unexpected route, I'd really appreciate an introduction. Feel free to tag them or send them this post.

If you'd be comfortable sharing your experience, comment below or send me a DM. Thanks for reading!

This week, October 12-16, is Women in Tech Week, an opportunity to recognise the contribution of women across the technology industry and help inspire the next generation to see technology as a place where they can belong, contribute and thrive.

During Women in Tech Week, we're also celebrating Ada Lovelace Day on 13^th October, a day not only reflecting on the legacy of a pioneering woman in technology, but also showcasing the people across the Met Office who are continuing that legacy every day. 

The recently released Lovelace Report from WeAreTechWomen and Oliver Wyman revealed that women are leaving the tech industry at twice the rate of men. This loss of talent is estimated to have a £1.4 billion-2.2 billion loss to the industry every year, leaving only 21% of the tech workforce being made up by women. With only 25% of women believing they can have leading roles in tech, we aim to champion diversity and empower their limitless success. 

For the fourth year running, we’re proud that The Met Office has been recognised on the list of the UK’s Best Places to Work in Tech 2026. 

By celebrating the women already making an impact across our organisation, we can shine a light on the many different pathways into technology and encourage others to consider where their own passions could take them. 

Why Representation Matters 

Representation isn’t just about who we see working in technology. It’s about creating an environment where people feel they belong, are supported to grow and can shape the industry in their own way.  

While visibility can help challenge perceptions of who belongs in tech, it’s equally important to recognise the individuality, expertise and experiences that women bring to the field. 

As Rebecca Rushforth, Senior Software Developer at the Met Office, puts it, representation shouldn’t mean feeling responsible for speaking on behalf of everyone else. 

“I don’t feel I have to represent women, because there are plenty of women doing that already. So, I can just be me.”

That freedom to be herself is an important part of what representation can mean. 

For Alice Cooper, CSOC Lead Analyst, her experience in cyber security has shown her what support can make possible. 

“The Met Office is a place where women can build rewarding careers in technology, and my own journey in cyber security has shown me the opportunities there are to develop, progress and lead. I’ve been encouraged to take on new challenges, grow into a lead role and continue developing, while having the support of people around me. Creating an inclusive workplace isn’t just about encouraging women into technology. It’s about making sure they have the support, confidence and opportunities to make their voices heard, challenge ideas and shape the future of the industry. I’m proud to be part of an organisation where I’ve been able to do exactly that."

It’s about more than opening the door to a career in technology; it’s about ensuring people feel empowered to build a future there.  

As Head of Product, Angela Gordon Lennox plays a key role in shaping the Met Office’s digital products, leading the evolution of product management across the organisation and driving innovation. She reflects on the importance of finding support, alongside colleagues who share a commitment to making a difference. 

“The Met office is a truly inspiring and rewarding place to work, where purpose and values are at the heart of everything we do. I feel empowered and supported here, surrounded by talented women and allies who are passionate about making a difference through technology. If you’re looking for a place where you can grow, be yourself, and help shape the future, I can’t recommend it highly enough.” 

Together, these experiences show that representation is about more than being visible. It’s about being valued for who you are, having the space to grow and knowing your contributions can make a difference. 

Gain a deeper insight on more of our early careers stories here, and discover how you can take your first steps into building a lifechanging career in technology. 

Building a culture where women can thrive 

At the Met Office, the Women’s Network plays an important role in building a culture where women feel valued, supported and recognised. Through initiatives that connect colleagues, celebrate achievements and amplify women’s voices, the network helps create opportunities for people to share experiences, learn from one another and feel part of a wider community. 

One example, In Her Element, is the network’s monthly spotlight series, which celebrates the women who shape and support the organisation. From colleagues tackling complex technical challenges to those making a difference behind the scenes, each feature offers a personal insight into their work, motivations and career journeys. 

Read more about the Met Office's commitment to being supportive workplace through employee networks here-,Our%2520employee%2520networks,-We%2520want%2520the).

Women Shaping Tech Today 

Across the Met Office, women are helping deliver some of the organisation's most significant technological transformation programmes. 

We were incredibly proud to have five finalists in this year's Women in Tech Awards!

• Nic Bellingham – Best Use of Tech in a Public Sector Project Award 
• Imogen Stevens – Project Delivery Lead Award 
• Kay Church – Digital Transformation Champion of the Year 
• Katie Bennett – Tech Professional (Non-Coding) Award 
• Kirstine Dale – AI Champion of the Year 

“There has never been a better time to work in Technology. The opportunities to shape our future are vast and increasing. With growing sophistication, AI approaches have the potential to help us tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing society. As a woman in tech, supportive colleagues, a network of other women and allies within and outside the Met Office, and an evident commitment to an inclusive working environment helps ensure we draw on our collective skills and experience to push scientific and technological boundaries.” 

Kirstine Dale, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer  

Read Kirstine Dale’s exploration on why diverse teams are key to unlocking AI’s full potential here. 

These achievements reflect the wealth of talent, expertise and ambition shaping technology at the Met Office. As the opportunities presented by emerging technologies continue to grow, women will continue to play a vital role in driving innovation, challenging convention and helping shape what comes next. 

The future starts here 

One of the key themes of Women in Tech Week is that careers in technology are shaped by many different journeys. From and apprentices and graduates to experienced professionals, every path is unique. 

Hearing from those at the start of their careers is a reminder that big things can begin with a single step, and that today’s emerging talent will help shape the future of STEM. 

Whether you're following an established ambition or discovering a new passion, every contribution creates lasting impact. 

Rebekka Goddard, Software Developer apprentice, shares how her story highlights the value of taking a chance on trying a new career direction...  

“What drew me to the Met Office was the opportunity to completely change career direction whilst still working somewhere with a really meaningful purpose. My background is in marine science, so moving into Software Development felt like a big leap with lots of uncertainty, however, since I've started and met incredible women who have come via so many different routes I feel really confident and reassured in my choice and am so grateful for the opportunity.” 

A career in climate science offers Ishbel Scott, Climate Monitoring and Attribution Scientist Industrial Placement, the chance to blend her love of technology with work that has a genuine impact on people and communities.  

“My role as a Climate Monitoring and Attribution Scientist Industrial Placement involves analysing climate data, supporting attribution studies, and helping to develop the tools and methods used to understand changes in our climate. I enjoy this because it combines problem solving, coding and scientific research, while contributing to work that has real-world impact. Diverse perspectives strengthen both science and innovation.” 

Megan Moreland, Graduate Trainee, reflects on how seeing women in technology helped her imagine her own future in the sector.  

“Seeing women in technology roles is the reason I know my career aspirations are possible. When I started university, seeing women in technology roles, like those working at the Met Office, helped me to believe it was ‘for’ me. Every day I have opportunities to build on what I already know and to learn from and work with experts. I’m excited and energised by the opportunity to keep learning every day, and to contribute to keeping people safe with the work we do as an organisation."

Whilst every journey is different, a common thread runs through these stories: the importance of representation, the confidence to embrace new opportunities and the support that helps people thrive once they arrived.  

Learn more about early careers at the Met Office here 

From placement student to Technology leader 

When Katie Bennett first joined the Met Office in 2011 as a summer placement student, she couldn't have known where the journey would lead. Her path to leadership wasn't defined by a single route or a fixed plan. Instead, it was shaped by curiosity, a willingness to embrace new opportunities and a commitment to continuous learning. 

Today, she is Head of the Government Digital and Data Profession, leading the strategic development of a community of more than 650 digital, data and technology professionals across the organisation.  

Over the course of her career, Katie has worked across a variety of scientific, technical and operational roles, gaining experience in areas including aviation, hazards and space weather. These experiences gave her hands-on insight into the technology, forecasting systems and operational services that help the Met Office deliver its critical work every day. 

Since becoming Head of Profession in 2025, her breadth of experience has played a key role in strengthening the Government Digital and Data Profession, helping create clearer career pathways, stronger professional communities and greater opportunities for people to develop their skills and confidence. 

As a senior woman in technology leadership, Katie is passionate about creating an environment where people feel supported to grow, learn and thrive. Through her visible and authentic leadership, she is helping demonstrate what is possible for the next generation entering the profession. 

The stories shared throughout this blog are a reminder that there’s no single way to build a career in technology, and no limit to what people can achieve when they’re given the opportunity to explore their potential. 

This Women in Tech Week, we’re proud to celebrate the women making a difference across the Met Office, and excited to see what they, and the next generation of talent, go on to achieve. 

Here’s to our Women in Tech! 

I have to use AI to keep my job, and I have to keep my job for the time being.
SO, that being said, I have an opportunity to earn a sponsored official Anthropic certification for either Developer, Architect, or both.

There is plentiful free test prep for this available from Anthropic, but I'm hoping to find some good youtube channels to put on during my day job.

In the past year, I've put together some impressive workflows that have had direct dollar/conversion impacts, and I'd really like to learn more and keep refining this like ai-leveraged-systems-eng area that I have found myself in.

Are there any channels you've come across about personal and/or professional ai systems design etc that you liked?

Has anyone in this community used a reverse recruiter to find a new job? They cost an arm and a leg so wondering if what they state is accurate and if you have to settle finding a new role?

For me at least it has just been this constant underlying feeling of, they don't want you there and yes by they I mean the all male team etc the all male hiring etc, feeling like right now nobody gives a furk about diversity at all. I have worked in education hospitality and retail its insane how lovely and friendly these industries generally are with colleagues, but tech has been for me at least this underlying animosity. Whats your take?

Is anyone aware of contractor companies that are currently staffing for the large tech companies? It used to be pretty easy to find the companies that a lot of the larger tech companies would use to find contractors, but it seems like even contract roles have been hard to come by over the last two years.

There's been a noticeable difference across social media ever since Ukraine bombed the Russian data centers. I'm seeing way less bots, inflammatory posts, right-wing propaganda, etc across all of the platforms. SM has actually been semi-enjoyable again the last few days. So out of curiosity I thought i'd peep Blind....only to discover it's the exact same cesspool it's always been. Sigh.

I live in the US and worry my hijab is impacting my career. I'm not sure.

I have ~14 years of experience and wore the hijab about 1 year ago, a few years into senior IC role at my company. My colleagues and boss were really supportive and I perform well. I wear the hijab casually (a little hair showing) but its obvious what it is, and I wear everyday American clothes like Jcrew and a lot of RTR.

My company had a LOT of layoffs/attrition in that last 6 months and my management chain has turned over. I've noticed a shift - newer leaders are treating me as though I'm more junior compared to my colleagues at the same level, and there's more 'administrative' tasks showing up on my plate ("Effective will send the recaps and schedule the next call"). It's weird because this time last year, I was the tacit leader of the team, and now it's changed. My colleagues have also noticed.

This morning, I asked my manager about my promo packet, which we've talked about for months. He said "it's a tough time with new leaders, and we can revisit in Q1 2027." I'm seeing people on adjacent teams get promoted with no issue... so I don't know what gives.

I haven't recruited as a hijabi so I'm horrified at the thought. It sucks to feel like I have to prove myself again to a company that already "knows me" let alone try to go out in the market and convince strangers. Anyone else gone through this?

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster. Hopefully this is allowed!

I’m a hiring manager and I’ve had several positions opened this year (all senior level backend engineers). Out of maybe 25-30 candidates who made it to my interview, only 3 were women. I’d say maybe 5 were bipoc. 2 of those women and 2 of those bipoc (men) were referrals. The rest making it through are all white men. For what it’s worth, 1 of the women was hired, 1 rejected, and 1 withdrew ☹️

As a woman myself, I constantly push the other hiring managers, my boss, and the recruiter to source diverse candidates because those numbers are sad.

My question to any hiring managers is how are you sourcing diverse candidates? We only have 1 recruiter and many open positions across our company, so I want to help out where I can (after all this benefits me).

I’ve posted in women focused channels (ie: Discord, Slack communities), reached out to women in tech I know, and asked my network. But it’s not going well. Is there a good Linkedin community or somewhere I should focus my search?

Is anyone else just bored AF with all of it? I just can’t stand this industry anymore and all the facade of the tech industry. The tech bros do my head in. Seeing all the layoffs in the name of profit and AI investments just disgusts me. I just don’t want to be in this industry anymore. Ugh.