WomenInTech. "IT is more than just a profession," — girls from Central Asia on how to build a successful career in IT

We met with successful women from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan who shared their stories and recommendations for beginners.

About Me

My work involves building and maintaining strategic partnerships, finding new opportunities for growth and business expansion. In my activities, I actively use technical knowledge and business skills, striving to make a significant contribution to the company's development. Throughout my career, I have continuously expanded my competencies by studying new technologies and management methods. In addition to my professional activities, I actively participate in various educational initiatives, mentoring, and startup programs, passing on my knowledge and experience to young specialists. I gladly support students and aspiring entrepreneurs, inspiring them to achieve high goals and strive for constant improvement.

From an early age, immersing myself in the world of information technology, I clearly realized the complexity and multifaceted nature of this field. The challenges faced by IT specialists only fueled my interest and inspired me to conquer new heights. By the fifth grade, I had firmly decided to dedicate myself to programming and set an ambitious goal—to become the director of my own company. After graduating from TUIT with a degree in "Applied Informatics" in 2009, I continued my studies in a master's program, striving to deepen my knowledge and broaden my horizons. The thirst for new knowledge and professional growth led me to the SKOLKOVO business school, where I successfully completed the Executive MBA program.

How I Came to the IT Profession

IT is not just a profession, but an all-consuming passion that has its roots in deep family traditions.

My father, Talgat Karimovich Dadzhanov, is an outstanding programmer and a graduate of the Institute of Cybernetics. His brilliant mind and masterful management skills were a source of inspiration and a beacon in my life. From a young age, I inherited his thirst for knowledge and insatiable interest in the world of electronics and informatics.

Along with technical talent, I also possessed leadership qualities. During my school years, in the absence of a teacher, my classmates invariably chose me to be the class monitor. This early manifestation of leadership traits later played a decisive role in my professional choice.

Choosing IT as my life path was not accidental. From the very beginning, I understood that this was not just a profession, but my calling.

Over the years, my love for IT only grew stronger. I enthusiastically studied various programming languages, immersing myself in the world of software architectures and operating systems.

IT is more than just a profession; it is a calling that allows me to realize my creative potential, inspire others, and contribute to building a better future. Every keystroke, every line of code, every implemented project is another step toward achieving this goal.

About Stereotypes

As a CEO, I faced prejudices regarding women in leadership positions. Some seemed to believe that women are not decisive, confident, or capable of achieving success. But this, on the contrary, motivated me to demonstrate my abilities and shatter these stereotypes.

I achieved my first victory in negotiations with a government agency, where previous managers had failed to resolve an issue that had dragged on for years. Thanks to the diplomatic approach I applied and the firm convictions I showed, we managed to reach an agreement, which became a turning point in the perception of a female leader.

Our company has created an atmosphere of gender equality and non-discrimination. We understand that successful leadership does not depend on gender and that every employee can make a valuable contribution regardless of gender identity. We create a work environment where everyone feels comfortable and can realize their potential. Successful female leaders can inspire and challenge traditional notions of leadership, proving that gender is not an obstacle to achieving professional goals.

Our success in promoting inclusivity and gender equality was also reflected in business results.

Barriers for Women in IT

Working with people who hold stereotypical thinking can be a real challenge, especially when having to explain complex aspects of projects. Sometimes it takes three to four hours to convey information to the client. But when our team and the client find common ground, it becomes a real victory. Unfortunately, I notice that our specialists do not always have sufficient in-depth knowledge in the field of information technology. This can slow down the process and complicate interaction.

But in addition to communicating with clients, another difficulty can be finding compromises within the team regarding the project development strategy. Sometimes different team members have different visions of goals and ways to achieve them, which requires additional efforts to align. Nevertheless, thanks to open communication and mutual understanding, we always find optimal solutions.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Path

Identify the areas and directions that interest you, actively communicate with people who have achieved success in these fields, and adopt their experience and knowledge. Networking has a powerful motivating effect. Communicating with like-minded people, you realize that success is not achieved overnight, and this inspires constant self-improvement and confirms the correctness of your chosen course.

Avoid excessive perfectionism that paralyzes your actions. Do not scold yourself for mistakes; instead, encourage yourself for every, even minor, success. The ability to appreciate your achievements and find the strength to continue after failures is the key to inevitable and continuous growth.

Never stop learning and acquiring new knowledge and skills that correspond to your aspirations and market needs.

Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. This will help you unlock your potential and gain valuable experience.

Consider collaborating with a mentor or coach.

Madina Dussmagambetova, city — Almaty, Deputy Chairman of the Board of CK Documentolog Global Limited, @madinadosma

About Me

I am the Deputy Chairman of the Board for Development at Documentolog Global Limited, a leader of the WomenTechLeaders community, and a member of the Almaty IT Community. I also head the business development, development, and support directions for cloud products Documentolog Business, Personal, and Market within the ecosystem of digital solutions for signing and exchanging electronic documents.

I have over 17 years of experience in product management, project management for the implementation of corporate systems, and business analysis. I actively participate in communities supporting women working in the field of information technology. I am married, a mother of two wonderful children, and I practice fitness.

How I Came to the IT Profession

I am one of the few women whose path in IT began with programming. I became interested in software development even as a schoolgirl. For me, development was not only an exciting activity but also the creation of something new, invention.

I lived and studied in the city of Kostanay. I found exact sciences easy, and all teachers said that I had a mathematical mindset. After primary school, I entered a private technical-economic school-lyceum. Thanks to my parents, who, on the recommendation of teachers, took timely action.

We were lucky because the school had an additional informatics section, whose teacher noticed me on the very first lesson. We were then working on Corvettes—a Soviet eight-bit educational personal computer with a DOS operating system and 64 KB of RAM. It is hard to imagine now.

We were given a task to draw any picture in a graphic editor like Paint. In one lesson, I managed to finish an entire painting with flowers because instead of drawing everything manually with a brush, I composed ready-made figures, then corrected them and added the necessary elements. This impressed the teacher, and he immediately suggested I join the programming club.

We spent all our free time every day after school programming. First, we wrote in Basic, then Pascal, TurboPascal, Delphi, C, C++.

I fully share Steve Jobs' opinion: "Everyone in this country should learn to program because it teaches you how to think."

When entering university, when the Unified National Testing (ENT) was introduced, I was able to score a high mark and enter the Eurasian National University on a grant in the "Mathematics and Information Technology" faculty.

My path in the IT field continued: from project manager to top manager in a leading IT company.

About Stereotypes

Stereotypes in the IT field may exist due to the predominance of men. We often heard that exact sciences are not for women, especially during university studies.

Stereotypes that the IT field was considered "male" can create invisible barriers for women, often unconsciously manifested by our society. Once, I encountered an interesting situation.

At one of the programming olympiads, the jury members could not believe that I had completed all the tasks independently. I was always the only girl among the participants at such olympiads. After the jury members discussed the results of the tasks, I was asked to complete additional tasks in a separate room. When the results were checked, I was awarded first place.

Another case that I remember occurred after graduating from university. I was looking for a job as a developer, went to one well-known IT company at that time, and was refused an interview, stating that they do not hire women as developers. The maximum they could offer me was a tester position. As a result, I ended up in the role of a project manager at the first stage of my career.

Barriers for Women in IT

It is believed that traditionally women are less competent and technically prepared, which often leads to their underestimation or ignoring in the professional environment. Various cases of such discrimination are encountered everywhere. I do not claim that this happens with everyone, but such situations occur. For example, men and women at the same level of position, competencies, and experience may advance in their careers at different speeds. Usually, men advance faster, and their salaries are often higher than those of women in similar conditions. In fact, most CEOs in IT companies are men. Women are rarely found in top management positions and boards of directors, and we know almost all of them by name.

If I look "back" into my past: from the very beginning of my fascination with the world of IT, I encountered prejudices that had formed regarding women in exact sciences. However, over time, I stopped paying attention to this and simply continued to achieve my goals.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Path

Try to define your goals, what exactly you want to achieve in your career. The earlier you determine at least the field of activity, the more progressive the results will be. Understand what you are more interested in, where your strengths lie, and where your passion is. Be open to meeting new people, do not be afraid to ask for help and advice from experienced specialists. Do not stop learning new things: it is impossible to know everything; the more you know, the more you realize that there is still much to learn.

And remember, if there is a goal, passion, and enthusiasm for your favorite work, then no other opinion, labels, or stereotypes will stop you; there will always be a solution and your own path to your dream.