Women in Technology by Apeksha Jain

Apeksha's Introduction to the Technology Industry

My journey in technology consulting began with IBM in India in 2006.Most of my initial projects involved working with the SAP suite of products in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and enterprise performance management (EPM) space. After 13 years of delivering successful SAP projects for global clients, I became an SME in the Analytics and Enterprise Performance Management area.

After moving to Hong Kong, which is a banking and financial hub, I decided to shift focus outside of the SAP package technology and hence started looking for more generic technology led transformation opportunities. With my strong background in data and analytics, it was easy to foray into automation, analytics and process consulting, which were gaining a lot of traction with clients.

Apeksha's Thoughts on Working in the Technology Sphere as a Woman

Technology is the backbone of all innovations and transformations happening across organisations globally. I feel very fortunate to be part of this industry and contributing to the clients’ transformation journeys using technology as a lever.

In my opinion, technology is one of the most dynamic industries. The technologies and tools that were relevant a few years ago might not have a place in the market any longer due to changing customer needs and behaviours.

That poses a challenge as well as an opportunity to keep evolving as a practitioner.

I feel that one must keep evolving at the same pace as the technology. As new technologies continue disrupting the market, companies are reinventing their business and operating models and therefore we as consultants need to keep pace with these emerging market demands.

Having a broader, wider range of technical skillsets has kept me valuable to my clients all these years.

Apeksha's Advice for Women Entering and Navigating the Field of Technology

My advice to young women who want to make a successful career in technology is to be committed to lifelong learning. To stay relevant in this dynamic industry it is important to continuously upskill and re-skill oneself.

What has worked for me is to set aside time in my calendar for reading and learning. about industry practices and technology trends. Whether it’s a five-minute article or something more elaborate like training on a tool, it’s important to keep the focus on learning and staying aware of market trends.

Challenges That Women in Consulting Face

It’s a known fact that consulting generally entails long working hours — not just technology consulting but consulting in general — and how prevalent burnout is in the industry. There is often added pressure due to tight timelines. This is common scenario applicable to both men and women working in consulting.

However, for women, it adds more pressure and stress because in the majority of cultures and geographies, women are still considered the primary caregivers of their families. I’m luckily able to practice flexible work at Protiviti, and ensure a work-life balance.

Why Is It Important to Have Strong Female Representation at All Levels in Organisations?

We all need role models to look up to in our careers. Young women starting their careers need insight into where they can be in 5-10 years from now. Having women colleagues at senior levels gives hope and inspiration.

The reality is that while you can see an even balance between men and women at entry-level positions, and decent representation at mid-management level; the ratio gets skewed as we move towards senior leadership positions. The good news is that lot of companies have recognised this gap and are actively addressing this via women network groups, DEI policies, flexible working arrangements etc. But I still believe there is a long road ahead.

There are studies that show that diversity of thought is extremely important when it comes to sound decision-making. For successful teams, you need to have diversity because a team that has a diverse group of people is likely to be more creative and have better quality outcomes as it brings different perspectives to the fore.

Join Apeksha at Protiviti by visiting our careers page for open opportunities: Careers