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Spotlighting Robins

Women in Tech Chat

Our Women in Tech chat explores learnings and advice for building successful careers in tech and offers practical examples from Robin's own women engineers.

Spotlighting Robins

Women in Tech Chat

Having women working in tech is more important than ever. Not only do companies benefit from better problem solving, but gender equal workforces also help ensure that products and services are developed from a balanced perspective. The solutions created as a result tend to be more innovative, which provide companies with a stronger position to capture new and impactful value.

Companies have started to embrace this inclusion with 31% of UK tech hires awarded to female candidates. However, just 16.5% of all engineering roles in the UK are currently held by women. While this progress is a step in the right direction, the gender gap is still an issue which needs tackling. Going forward, companies will need to pay closer attention to how they recruit, retain and promote women in technical roles to improve these numbers.

We hosted a Twitter space chat with women in tech, during which we explored key challenges, learnings and advice for women navigating a mainly male-dominated sector. We discussed important issues such as imposter syndrome, and highlighted inspiring stories on building successful careers in tech with real-life examples from our own talented engineers.

The chat featured:

Dr. Emma Cooke, Machine Learning Engineer, Robin AI

Kawtar Hamdi, Frontend Engineer, Robin AI

Dr. Raquel Vaz, Senior Data Scientist, Trustpilot

We are honoured to have had Dr. Raquel Vaz moderate the chat, and have our incredible engineers speak intimately and openly on their experiences and insights during their careers in tech. We've summarised 5 key takeaways from the chat below:

5 key takeaways

1. Reasons to consider a career in tech

While it’s important to have a passion for technology and innovation if you are thinking about a career in tech, it’s an industry that welcomes individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.

The tech sector is varied, fast paced and constantly in flux which sets it apart from more traditional sectors. If you enjoy problem solving, building something from the ground up, and career progression, a career in tech could be right for you.

Tech companies solve very different problems and you’ll be able to find an organisation that aligns with your goals and values. At Robin, for example, we use a combination of proprietary software and machine learning to re-imagine how contracts are drafted, negotiated and used. Our mission is to make contracts simple.

2. Common challenges women face in mostly male teams

Being a woman in mostly male dominated engineering teams can be a tricky environment to navigate. There is a possibility of feeling singled out or feelings the effects of both conscious and unconscious bias. You might feel much more aware of trying to “fit in”.

This is why it’s important to join a team where you will feel supported by peers. Don’t be afraid to inquire about hiring stats, leadership representation and mentorship practices before you take on a new role.

We aim to be very intentional in our hiring process. While 3 out of our 11 engineers are women, we know there’s still room for even more representation.

3. Advice for women joining the tech industry

You may face self-doubt, but remember to tell yourself in those times that you’re talented, capable and belong. Its also important to set goals for yourself and work towards achieving them. At Robin, our team has ample opportunity to evolve technically through varied and challenging work.

It can be difficult at first to have a strong voice in the room. But don’t be afraid to speak up and communicate your ideas and thoughts with confidence.

Find ways to uplift each other. The different teams at Robin work closely together providing help within their areas of expertise which is a great way to foster a supportive culture.

4. Reasons why more women are needed in tech

Having more women in engineering roles helps bring a different perspective which is key to building solutions that are useful for a wide range of people. Robin encourages diversity as its important for us to have every member of the team play a role in the product we’re creating.

More so, it’s essential to have women, and people of diverse backgrounds, take on senior leadership roles. We take proactive steps to accomplish this at Robin as it helps to create a work environment that is comfortable for everyone.

Having more female role models in the tech space will hopefully inspire more young women to pursue their interests and careers in tech.

5. Strategies to overcome imposter syndrome

You’re not alone, in fact many people struggle with feelings of inadequacy. In these moments its important to remind yourself of your achievements and that you’ve earned your position.

Its natural to fear failure, but recognise that everyone experiences it. Don’t hide these feelings but try to discuss them openly with a mentor or people that you trust.

Watch the full recording of the chat below:

Robin AI is a legal infrastructure business that is re-thinking how contracts are drafted, negotiated and used. By using a combination of software, machine learning and expert human reviewers, we make contracts simple.

Backed by Google, Episode 1, Forward Partners and the SoftBank Emerge Program, we are actively growing our team to help expand operations and accelerate product development. If you'd like to join us on this journey, please have a look through our open roles.

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