As part of our Women in STEM series, we spoke to three inspirational women who are all thriving in their STEM careers.
We wanted to find out their experience of the industry, what motivates them and what advice they have for other women looking to start a career in the STEM space.
First up we spoke to Ana Oliveira, Energy Analytics Delivery Coach at Amber Energy.
Tell us about your career and what’s led you to a role in data:
I never thought I’d end up working in data, really.
At university, I studied environmental engineering and always thought I’d be working in that area.
But my first proper office job involved analysing data and, through that, forecasting energy consumption and identifying energy waste. I felt that my job was having an impact on the environment and ended up loving it!
In all honesty, I can’t see myself doing anything else.
Did you face any barriers when building your career in data?
Not really, but I do realise I am very lucky.
amber energy® is an inclusive company, and I never felt any bias.
How has the industry changed in recent years?
Since I started my career about five years ago, there hasn’t been a lot of changes when it comes to women in tech. However, I also know I work in a more specific area of tech. There are still conferences or training sessions I attend where I am literally the only woman – which is quite demotivating.
But, to counter that, there have been more and more ‘women in tech’ groups, where women mentor each other and provide support. That has been great to see!
What would you say are the main attributes required for someone to work in data?
In my opinion, the main attributes required for someone to work in data, or any technological sector, are a willingness to learn and critical thinking.
In a sector that is always changing and improving, it is so important that we are willing to learn new ways of doing things; and critical thinking is important so that we don’t get overwhelmed by all the information we have at our fingertips.
Do you have any predictions around future industry trends?
I think more and more women will start believing they’re capable of going for jobs in tech and science – and, at last, we’ll see an increase in the number of women in these positions.
What is the most rewarding part of a career in tech/data?
For me, because my job is focused on energy data, the most rewarding thing is knowing that my work is helping companies reduce their energy waste and work towards their sustainability and net zero targets.
What advice would you give to other females looking to start a career in data?
The best piece of advice I can give to other women looking to start a career in this industry is this: don’t be afraid to make the leap.
No day is ever the same, and you get to be a part of an industry that is helping to build the future.
Thanks to Ana for taking part and for her insights.
We’ll be launching the recruitment phase of our 2022 Fast Track Data/AI Graduate Programme very soon, watch this space!