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Coming Down the Pike: Navigating the Impending Talent Crunch

11/07/2018 | Kendrea Williams |

Did you know that the phrase “coming down the pike” was originally coined regarding a traffic interchange called a “turnpike”? Back in the day, turnpikes were used when main roads filled with traffic. They were implemented as a form of innovative transportation control. When traffic was heavy (and as long as a traveler was willing to pay a fare) a secondary road would be opened, and the traveler was soon on his or her way, bypassing the stalled traffic.

Bear with me, I was a history major, so that tidbit fascinated me. ?

Interestingly enough, “turnpike” is also a term that many of us can use to explain our journey into the field of #technology, or method of entering it. Some of the travelers went the traditional route, earning their four-year Computer Science degree. Some, like myself, chose to pay a fare and shorten our journey via the “turnpike”…or in this case, we developed skills via online training webinars, coding boot camps, and/or accelerated #tech skill training programs.

Preparing Yourself for the Talent Crunch

According to the 2017 Global Talent Crunch study, by 2020, shortages of skilled tech talent will impede global business growth. By 2030, the tech talent crunch is expected to fall short of at least 85.2 million workers… that equates to approximately $8.5 TRILLION, yes, I said TRILLION…in lost revenue opportunity. So, what does this mean? It means that you can start preparing now to take advantage of the plethora of approaching tech opportunities, and just like others, you can do it via a “turnpike.”

Getting Ahead of the Curve

Traditional methods for getting your foot in the door of a tech company meant that you went the university route to, as I mentioned earlier, receive a degree in Computer Science. Women would most likely have had to follow a track in Mathematics because many Computer Science programs were not supportive of gender equality. Either way, you had to have a university-based education at the very least.

But, oh my how have things changed! From online courses published on learning platforms such as Udemy; to 12-week accelerated coding boot camps, such as what you would find at The Eleven Fifty Academy; or, shortened community college programs such as IvyWorks, programs which provide support and wrap-around services for their program participants; one can develop a #tech career in a remarkably flexible and innovative way.

Knowing the Areas Where the Opportunities Will Exist

Let’s get back to the impending talent crunch that I pointed out in the survey mentioned above. I am sure that you are asking by now…so where are the opportunities?

Well, they actually exist in two areas when it comes to #skills:

Hard vs. Soft Digital Skills

Hard Digital Skills include:

  • Agile Methodologies such as Scrum, Extreme Programming and Lean Development
  • Web Development
  • Cloud Computing
  • User (UX) Experience Design
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Soft Digital Skills include:

  • Change Management
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Collaboration
  • Entrepreneurial Mindset
  • Passion for Learning

So, if you are anything like me, an individual as part of the “gig economy,” looking to pivot in your career, or seeking to improve your overall quality of life with a robust career, I encourage you to explore the possibilities available with this incoming talent crunch.

Get ahead of the curve by innovatively preparing yourself for one of the many #tech opportunities “coming down the pike.”

Let’s connect. 
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Embracing Assessments for Authentic Self-Discovery

self-discovery

10.19.18 | Kendrea Williams | 

As many of you may (or may not) know, I consider myself a novice in navigating the tech ecosystem. From learning to code to discovering how to manage and deliver software products, this past year provided an immersive experience in personal discovery. By unpacking how to overcome these new career challenges through exploring new ways of doing business, I am identifying a new me.

Now, when I say that I am “discovering a new me,” I am referring to the realization of my underlying strengths and weaknesses since I embarked on this new journey. I’ve taken a plethora of assessments as part of this adventure, including DISC Assessments, Kolbe Evaluations, and Clifton Strengths,  in addition to employer-provided skill assessments apps such as Agile Onion and Pocket Prof.

I can wholeheartedly confess that I’ve improved my ability to define my personal and professional strengths and weaknesses accurately. It’s been instrumental in my transition from the not-for-profit sector into a career in technology.

Digging In

So what did these assessments reveal? Plenty; a plethora of new things about me personally and professionally. My initial takeaway was beginning to understand my values and what guided me in my professional work. Don’t get me wrong – we are all raised with a particular set of values, whether good or bad, which guide us into our adult years. However, we are rarely directed about professional values.  “Ideal” professional ideologies should come naturally from our “ideal” personal values, well, at least they are supposed to be, right?

According to Gallup, the most dynamic people are those who truly and deeply understand their strengths and behaviors. This recognition of the skills you have acquired throughout your career can provide you with an underlying sense of your current abilities, as well as an accurate perspective regarding your natural talents. All of which offers a keen insight regarding your professional “why.”

It’s essential for an individual to find out where their work values lie.  When we value our contributions, we increase the chances of being satisfied in our careers.  Though not every job will fulfill our every move, knowing what we appreciate upfront is essential to determining if that outstanding job offer is from a company whose culture and values are somewhat in alignment with ours.

The Big Reveal

Here’s what I discovered from these assessments regarding my strengths:

  • Contextual: Looking back to the past to understand the present.  I like to ask questions and allow the blueprints to emerge.
  • Restorative: Enjoy the challenge of solving problems by analyzing the solution.  I like to bring things back to life.
  • Strategic: (my favorite and most likely most dominate trait) It is not a skill that can be taught. I am always playing out scenarios and asking, “what if this happened.”
  • Developer: Ability to see the potential in others.  In my view, everyone is a work in progress, and I enjoy helping them discover their potential.
  • Input: Collecting and holding onto things of interest. It’s true, while I would not consider myself a hoarder, I can pride myself on my impressive home library…i.e., book collection.

Moving Forward

Empowered with this information, I have found areas of weakness where I could use additional training, as well as rediscovering areas of strength.

Diving in with these assessments has been incredibly valuable in helping me know the real me. I challenge you to take the time to invest in yourself and empower your authentic identity.

Let’s connect. 
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We Belong Here In Tech

tech

10.16.18 | Kendrea Williams |

Last month, I hopped on a plane to Houston ready to celebrate and network with thousands of other women in tech and computing at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration. The Grace Hopper Celebration is the self-described “world’s largest gathering of women technologists.”

Thank God I prepared! For the next three days, I had the honor to meet with some of technology’s best and brightest women leaders in the industry. Women, corporations, and universities from around the world were a part of this dynamic experience. The crowd was undoubtedly diverse, including students, new graduates, and women like me who have transitioned into a computing or technical role, mid-career. It was amazing!

Power in Unity

Our keynote speaker was a phenomenal woman by the name of Jessica Matthews, a Nigerian-American CEO and founder of Uncharted Power which produces Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator. She delivered a powerful message regarding women and the available roles in the tech space, in addition to demonstrating a new power-generating jump rope. All while wearing heels!

Kendrea with Jovita Jenkins

Another phenomenal woman that I met while at the conference was Jovita Jenkins. While Jessica Matthews can be considered a millennial and a new female thought leader in the tech space, Mrs. Jenkins is regarded as a pioneer. In a time where educational opportunities were a rejected notion altogether, Mrs. Jenkins overcame those odds and entered the tech space by receiving a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics. Her academic success qualified her to work in a technology lab, working on fascinating projects like the first B150 bomber, as well as spending much time working for NASA. Her arguably most notable accomplishment is that she retired as a lead engineer for TRW, Inc., where she led a team of men.

This expansive, impactful experience concluded with a strong message from professor Anita Hill in the wake of the #MeToo movement. She encouraged women to show up and be present. She invited us to speak up for ourselves and our fellow sisters when it comes to dismantling systems meant to oppress or silence women.

A Sense Of Belonging

I left that conference with not only a sense of relief, but I also left feeling like I could finally shed the dreaded “imposter syndrome” which was keeping me from exploring a technology-related career. And it was the messages from the likes of Jessica Matthews, Jovita Jenkins, and Anita Hill, all screaming loud and clear:

“You belong here…in tech!”

Let’s connect. 
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | www.beLithe.com

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Check out our new shirts.

One of the things I noticed when I started at Angie’s list was the number of people who wore Angie’s list t-shirts.  It was typically the most engaged employees to boot.  In fact, employees could buy a t-shirt for $5.  I realized that, if I ever got a chance to run my own company, I wanted to replicate what I learned at Angie’s list.

When Tana and I originally formed beLithe, we were primarily partnering with great organizations like CEWit, Eleven Fifty, and TechPoint to work with college students .  One of the things we started giving away to our students was T-shirts.  Our original T-shirt from 2016 had a quote on the back was a Winston Churchill quote “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.”

I thought it was time to change the quote, so I found a new one (check it out here).  I couldn’t write one.  As I searched for ideas, I stumbled across Apple’s diversity statement off there website.  I couldn’t resist.  It reflects the approach that I have always felt was right for am company, but never heard anyone at my past employers be so direct.  With all due respect to Apple, I used this one on our shirt.

In my Scrum training, we discuss one of the values of Scrum, openness, as one of the things that makes Scrum work.  We talk about openness in terms of one’s day to day status, opinions on how work is done, and what can be improved.  Diversity is generally accepted as a requirement for high performing teams.  Including other points of view provides better decision making across the board.  After conducting Scrum training for a number of years, I have had a revelation.  In Scrum, we should be open not just in what we share, but in what we take in.  We should be open to other’s ideas as well, whether we agree with them or not.  We shouldn’t let all the crap that doesn’t really matter cloud our opinions about teammates.

My goal for beLithe is that we are a high performing team, and this is one small way of embracing our future.  We are just starting the journey, and I hope it will be a fun ride.

Thanks for coming in today.

Chris

 

 

 

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Techie Women Have More

Let’s talk about working in the tech industry…. you know, the industry where exciting stuff happens on machines built by humans.  Where there seems to be way more jobs than qualified people to fill them.  Where the pay is good and there is endless opportunity to innovate and grow.  Sounds like a good arena to build a career, right?   That’s what I thought once I learned what the technology industry is really like.

Pop quiz time!  If you had to guess what percentage of the tech workforce is made up of women, what would you guess?  If you work in tech, you definitely know it’s less than 50%.  What about 40%?  30%?  The answer is 27%.  That means on a team of 10, less than 3 are women.  Not only are women missing out on great career opportunities but the industry is missing out on the new ideas and approaches that having a diverse workforce brings (regardless of whether it’s diversity in gender, religion, background, etc.).  This is where my passion comes in for increasing awareness of technology opportunities for women of all ages.

cewit-logo

Several years ago one of my mentors (an influential woman in technology, by the way!)  introduced me to Dr. Maureen Biggers.  One of Maureen’s (many) roles at Indiana University is the Director of the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology, a national model to encourage, empower, and promote women in technology and computing-related fields.  The story Maureen told was one all too familiar to me… she mentioned how much of the lopsided numbers are a result of women not knowing  much about careers in technology or what the tech industry is really like, and how many women have a misguided perception of what it takes to be successful in tech.  The woman she was describing was me before my first real exposure to a technology company. I was immediately intrigued.  I wanted to get involved.

Capture

I stay in touch with the CEWiT folks and help out by offering Scrum training to a select group of students, staff and faculty each semester.  I got the opportunity to speak at CEWiT’s annual Techie Women Have More Conference today, presenting to faculty the basics of using Kanban for project and task management.  It was a great day and I met some great women in technology but I left wanting more.  We need more women in technology and more women in leadership.  The world will be a better place for it. So what am I going to do about it?   Stay tuned to find out more…

Tana

 

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