WomenInTech. "With each year, the number of professional women is growing," — successful women discuss the trend in IT

Botagoz Kasabek, city — Almaty, Astana, entrepreneur, @botazhankz

About me

I am an IT entrepreneur, independent director, and trustee of the public fund "Alma". Speaking about business: we write and implement comprehensive products for B2B, B2G. There is also a product for B2C in development. I have several companies with co-partners. We are represented not only in Kazakhstan but also in neighboring countries.

I am also an independent director on the boards of several national companies, where my expertise and experience help make them better.

The public fund "Alma" is focused on the development of smart cities and communities within them. We develop concepts that take into account people's needs and preferences, the specifics of regions, improving their quality of life and making the environment more convenient for residents.

How I entered the IT profession

I entered the IT field through part-time jobs after my first year of university. First, I worked all summer in a photo salon, and then, after my second year, I worked part-time at a startup. In my fourth year, I fully joined an IT company, combining work with studies. After receiving my diploma, I received several offers, and with my work experience, I calmly implemented several projects in parallel.

If I divide my work activity into stages, first it was work in the business sector, then in national companies, and then in government service. Ultimately, I came to entrepreneurship. Each stage is interesting and difficult in its own way. I gained tremendous experience to understand a simple truth: it is best to work for yourself. After graduating with a Bachelor's in Computer Science from SDU University, there were no other options. Besides, activity in IT is considered one of the most interesting, with the opportunity to work in different industries and with diverse products.

About stereotypes

On my career path, I have encountered stereotypes. Five years ago, there were several episodes when I was told that if I were a man, I would be invaluable. As a woman, I did not fit. Fortunately, with each year, there are more and more professional women in every sector. Now such an attitude is unthinkable; it is going into the past.

Obstacles for women in IT

There are no difficulties specifically in the IT field. They only arise if women go for key first positions.

Overall, the trend of growth of women in technical sectors in Central Asian countries has increased. I am pleased with such changes. And the difficulties are the same as for everyone; there is no longer a division by gender.

Recommendations for those just starting their path

When starting your path, wherever it may be, believe in yourself and your strengths. Polish your strong sides, improve your weak ones. Do not be discouraged if it doesn't work out today. It means it will work out tomorrow. The most important thing is to plan, outline your life for 5-10 years, then you will have a clear plan.

Aigerim Sagandykova, city — Amsterdam, data scientist, @asagandykova

About me

I am from Eastern Kazakhstan, the city of Semey. I have been working as a data scientist for seven years, the last two years at Booking.com. My job is to help businesses make data-driven decisions. I perform analyses, build predictive models, and help conduct experiments.

I live in Amsterdam. Besides work, I am passionate about running and run marathons.

By education, I am a programmer. After my bachelor's degree, I taught at SDU University, while simultaneously completing my master's degree and entering doctoral studies. There I began to study applied statistics, and I liked it, wanting to work on real cases. At that time, there were few companies in Kazakhstan that offered such opportunities. As a result, I got a job as an analyst at Kaspi.kz. I worked on various projects, including the photo-verification service. I gained my main experience there, and I will always be grateful for it.

After that, I won an internship at US IT startups and worked for six months in San Francisco, where I helped a startup develop a plugin on Amazon.com that provided recommendations for products with natural ingredients. This experience helped me understand that anything is possible, that I am no worse than those who work at Google or other international companies. I gained confidence and a desire to grow further. After returning, I worked a bit in consulting, and then came to Booking.com.

How I entered the IT field

In school, we studied programming from the seventh grade, starting with simple programs, and by the end of school, we already knew how to write in Turbo Pascal. It was difficult for me, but by the 11th grade, I had a clear understanding — this is my thing. So I decided to apply to become a programmer.

About stereotypes

I have not encountered serious stereotypes that directly hindered my career. Of course, there were always people who loved jokes about "Girls are not programmers," but it did not affect me in any way.

Obstacles for women in IT

One of the difficulties is general distrust of women as experts in their field. With the growing number of girls in IT, and indeed in all spheres, this is less of an issue now, and that is pleasing. For me, the biggest challenge was not to believe in it myself, not to succumb to doubts about my abilities. Therefore, I wish you to believe more in yourself, find a strong inner support, and move forward toward your set goals.

Recommendations for those just starting their path

— try, try, and try again. Internships, projects, bootcamps — a good opportunity to gain initial experience

— find yourself a mentor. This should be someone you want to emulate. It is a process that takes more than one day, but the main thing is not to lose heart.

— expand your horizons. Learn how large companies work, visit them, meet with experts. Be interested in how the market works, this or that business. As an expert, you will be part of all this in the future.

— do not be afraid. Only those who do nothing make no mistakes. Mistakes are good! Experiment with different approaches, solutions, companies.

— not everything and not all at once. Have fewer unrealistic expectations of yourself and others, enjoy the process.