WomenInTech. "Career advancement opportunities do not depend on gender," — women from Alif Uzbekistan on overcoming stereotypes in the IT sector

Camilla Veyskerber, City — Tashkent, Senior Data Analyst, @amat3rassu_

About Me

I am a Senior Data Analyst and Head of the Machine Learning and Data Department at Alif. I am responsible for leading a team of engineers and analysts, managing data quality in the Data Warehouse (DWH), developing a strategy for implementing ML models into company processes, and creating analytical recommendations for various business units.

How I Entered the IT Profession

My career path began during my university years, when I studied at an economics university and worked as an assistant to the chief accountant. At that time, I saw my future in the financial sector. However, by expanding my circle of acquaintances with people from IT, I realized that I wanted to change my route. The profession of a data analyst seemed the most suitable, as it combined my theoretical knowledge in statistics with an interest in new technologies and solving practical problems.

Stage 1 — Getting hired at Alif

This was a turning point in my life when I immersed myself in all the processes of a rapidly growing startup, actively developing both Hard and Soft skills, since the work of an analyst implies active dialogue with clients, during which it is possible to form requirements and task definitions from people who are not familiar with the specifics of the company's data.

Stage 2 — Active team growth and promotion to a managerial role

Having gained expertise in working with data, I had the opportunity to try myself in the role of a data department manager, where the machine learning direction stands out most brightly, which Alif is actively developing. I continue to learn something new at the company to this day.

In 2020, fired up by the idea of entering IT, I began studying Python, SQL, visualization tools, joined communities to find like-minded people, which motivated me for further development.

About Stereotypes

Personally, I have not encountered obvious stereotypes in my career, but I understand that for many women in IT, they can be a real problem.

At Alif, we strive to support colleagues and create an inclusive atmosphere where professionalism and everyone's abilities are valued.

Barriers for Women in IT

The main difficulty lies not so much in career advancement, but in simply getting a foot on the first step.

We are raised with female gender socialization in mind. Society transmits stereotypes about a woman's purpose from an early age: "the weaker sex," "the decoration of the team," and "keeper of the hearth." These beliefs provoke a self-fulfilling prophecy — women doubt themselves due to prejudices about their ability to perform complex technical work.

I was lucky to learn about ideas of gender equality as a teenager. This developed an immunity to stereotypes.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Path

Do not be afraid to ask questions. The only stupid question is the one that is not asked.

Extract the maximum from the experience of your managers, mentors, and colleagues, and show initiative. Actively participate in projects and demonstrate your readiness for new tasks. This will show your motivation and desire for professional growth.

And most importantly, do not forget about self-development, because working in IT is a race; technology does not stand still. Participate in forums, meetups, conferences, and professional online communities — this helps not only to develop skills but also contributes to networking.

Mashkhura Eshmatova, City — Tashkent, ML Engineer at Alif Tech, Head of Alif Academy, Linkedin 

About Me

I am a Machine Learning Engineer at the FinTech company Alif Tech. My team and I develop projects that automate business processes using AI: a scoring system, a chatbot, a recommendation system, and others. Also, I lead the IT Academy project — Alif Academy. This is an educational project of Alif Tech, where we train people in IT fields for free and develop the personnel potential in the market.

I started my career path as a Python Developer through an internship at Exadel. After that, I began to delve deeper into the AI/ML field and in 2022 joined Alif Tech as a Junior ML Engineer. At the end of 2023, our company opened its own IT Academy, and today I also oversee it.

How I Entered the IT Profession

My path in the IT field began in a universal way — with the start of my studies at Inha University in Tashkent. In addition to gaining theoretical knowledge at the university, in order to quickly integrate into the social and practical aspects of the field, I began participating in various programs and communities.

For example, participation in the ICT4Girls program, within the framework of which I developed a spell-corrector project for the Uzbek language based on ML and won a grant, gave me a pivot for further development in this field. Later, with this project, I found my first job in ML. In addition, working in the ML Community as a Community Leader provided the opportunity to meet cool specialists in the IT field.

About Stereotypes

I was incredibly lucky to be born in a supportive family where there was no place for stereotypes, and I was taught not to stay in places where they exist. As in previous workplaces, and at Alif, the opportunity for career advancement does not depend on gender, but solely on the level of competence and ambition.

Barriers for Women in IT

There are people who, upon first meeting, may already have certain prejudices related to gender, resulting in them initially being skeptical about women's abilities. But I am confident that if you demonstrate a high level of professionalism in your work, you can help break down stereotypes in a person.

Recommendations for Those Just Starting Their Path

I would highlight two important points that need attention at the beginning of a career:

— choose the right environment for you. This is relevant at any stage of your career. For example, when working all day with colleagues, you subconsciously start to become like them. Therefore, it is important to be in a circle of the right and ambitious people with similar or, at the very least, non-conflicting principles and values.

— in studying IT, discipline and consistency play a special role. There are many directions in the IT field, and many beginners jump from one direction to another. It is important to find discipline within yourself during these moments and finish one thing / direction to the end, as superficial knowledge of several directions does not bring much value.