While there’s no denying the tech industry is male-dominated, there are signs things are improving on the gender scale. Our latest Sourced survey reveals that in the Christchurch and Auckland IT sectors, the gender split of respondents was 77.5% male and 23% female. That’s a nice uptick on the results from our inaugural survey in March 2018, when women made up just 20%, but also highlights there is a way to go before we reach gender parity.To help with ongoing development and inspiration, we have compiled six of the best female-driven tech podcasts. Each provides valuable insights on the challenges women face – particularly in leadership – alongside a host of actionable tips to help you overcome them.We hope you enjoy our selections of the best podcasts for women in tech. If you have a great podcast that inspires you in your career journey, please feel free to share it with us.The Women in Tech ShowEdaena Salinas has been working as a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft since 2014. Her podcast, ‘The Women in Tech Show’ shifts the focus from what it feels like to be a woman in tech, to women in tech actually talking about what they’re working on.Covering a wide range of topics including software engineering and design, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, career strategy and security, you’ll find illuminating episodes on storytelling in tech, open source software, as well as all things product and program management. If you find yourself a little time poor, consider her ‘5 Minute Mentor’ program – a weekly podcast featuring experts in tech and other industries, sharing their wisdom about how they succeed.Face of Tech‘The Face of Tech’ is a vibrant podcast focused on the tech start-up scene in New Zealand and Australia. Hosted by Baidy Laffan and Anna Zam (one a former lawyer and now a tech COO, the other switching from professional services partner to leader at a regtech company), each 30 to 40 minute episode features a female leader in her industry. All speak very openly and honestly about the challenges they’ve faced and overcome, providing plenty of inspiration for women struggling in the male-dominated tech field.To illustrate the diversity of topics and industries on offer, one episode features Lucy Wark, the founder of NORMAL, a sexual wellness company, who speaks about tackling imposter syndrome. Another highlights the work of Gaby Rosenberg, the co-founder of Blossom, a savings app introducing millennials to the world of bonds.Big Careers, Small ChildrenJuggling a career while raising children can be a difficult task. Many parents, especially mothers, often feel they’re sacrificing one to excel at the other. This podcast was created by CEO and Founder of Leaders with Babies, Verena Hefti, to specifically address this issueEach week Verena interviews a highly-effective leader who has managed to also successfully raise a young family. They openly discuss the hardships they’ve faced and provide advice for striking the right balance and achieving what you desire, both personally and professionally.50inTechThis podcast is aimed at those who prefer a bite-sized portion of actionable leadership tips. At approximately 10 minutes an episode, it’s a quick lesson packed with punch.From intriguing episode titles such as ‘Tired of sexist jokes in tech? Learn how to lead with humour’, to ‘How to close a funding round when you’re 8 months pregnant’, you’ll learn from a range of experts and industry leaders.Girl Geek XFrom those just entering the industry, to seasoned tech professionals, this podcast series aims to offer something valuable for every woman.The Girl Geek X podcast series sprang from the ‘Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners’, started by Angie Chang in 2008, with the aim of helping women network in Silicon Valley. After hosting more than 250 dinners with influential tech leaders, the founders decided to condense some of the most important insights into a podcast format. And so Geek Girl X was born.Topics include software security, career transitions, self-advocacy, managing up and more.NZ Tech Podcast – Women in Tech Panel episodeThe NZ Tech Podcast is hosted by Paul Spain and features a variety of guests discussing the latest happenings in the technology space, both here in New Zealand and globally.Most inspiring for women looking to take up a tech leadership role is the ‘Women in Tech Panel’ episode. Paul interviews three phenomenal female leaders here in New Zealand, who all share a love of tech and a wealth of management experience in the area. Benefit from their wisdom on topics such as business confidence, establishing a start-up and how to entice more women into tech and leadership.Extra Support for Women in TechWe hope you enjoyed our selection of the best tech podcasts for women. It’s just one way that we, here at Sourced, can support women in tech and help them progress their careers – and ultimately address the gender imbalance.As specialists in Technology and Digital recruitment, we have plenty of exciting opportunities coming through daily from our vast network of clients. We’d love to help you to take that next career step, so please feel free to connect, whether it’s to learn what current openings we have, or to get some advice from a trusted and seasoned technology recruitment professional.
