We have come a long way since Ada Lovelace wrote the first codes and became a computer science pioneer in the 1840s. Through decades women have been conquering more ground in the IT and STEM industries, leveling the playing field and creating a more fair and equal world. In 2022, the official theme of International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias. We can contribute to the conversation by sharing some of the stories from the brilliant women in tech we have helped get hired abroad over the years.
The IWD campaign focuses on deliberate or unconscious bias that makes it difficult for women to move ahead. This year’s goal is “identifying, celebrating and increasing visibility of women’s achievements to help forge equality, creating strategic collaborations to impact positive change for women, and raising awareness to help combat gender bias and discrimination to accelerate gender parity”.
So let’s celebrate International Women’s Day by getting to know some of the amazing women that have landed their dream job abroad with VanHack through hard work, talent, and determination.
The amazing women from Nigeria that got hired abroad
Rukayat Odukoya is one great example of a driven and intelligent woman’s kind of power. Rukayat Odukoya is a full-stack developer from Nigeria who used wished to work abroad to learn more and challenge her comfort zone. She started as a creative designer and later became a software engineer because she wanted to solve everyday problems. Her fantastic attitude and enthusiasm got her hired through one of VanHack’s hiring events.
Watch Rukayat’s webinar here:
Also, from Nigeria, Susan has taken her talent and hard work to Canada. “I wanted to be in a place where there’s a stronger Tech Community”, she says. “VanHack made relocating easier because, with them, I had a connection with companies that wanted my skills”.
Watch Susan’s story here:
Hear from women in tech from South America who relocated abroad
Ruth is an engineer from Venezuela who was looking for international experience in a country where she could plan her future. With good health and education systems Canada was exactly what she wanted. Ruth applied for a job on LinkedIn and three months later got a call from the company asking her if she could be in the Hiring Fair VanHack was organizing that year in Toronto. She said yes and started preparing with VanHack resources and mock interviews. Two months after that, she got the job.
Watch Ruth’s seminar here:
Rosalba’s enthusiasm and positive energy are hard to miss. She is a Full Stack engineer from Cuba who talks about her journey to Canada. “My story started when a friend of mine got a job in Canada and told me about VanHack. I just felt good about it, so I completed the application and all the assignments in the first week. After that, I found many videos on YouTube with a lot of success stories, so I got motivated and kept on pushing”.
Now you can be inspired by Rosy’s video:
Women in tech from India are getting hired abroad
We have so many great tech talents from India in our community, and of course, some of them happen to be amazing women as well. Priyanka is a back-end and front-end developer hired through VanHack and is currently living in Calgary, Canada. She has settled into her new life well and says she felt at home almost immediately. With a kind smile, Priyanka describes the support she got from VanHack as “super useful” and highlights how having the team’s help made her feel more confident and comfortable through the whole hiring process.
Watch Priyanka tell her story here:
Amandeep Kaur, is a mobile engineer from New Delhi, India, with a passion for coding things. She got hired to work in the US through VanHack and her “secrets” to make it happen were determination and patience. “I had to be self-motivated, and I was 100% sure it was going to take time”, she remembers. “I started trying in 2018 and got my dream job in 2021, three years later, it was a long journey and I never stopped. I felt proud of myself too, for never giving up”. What an inspiration!
You can watch Amandeep’s full story here:
Creating opportunities for women in tech
In 2018, VanHack conducted a study in partnership with MaRS Discovery District to better understand the needs and expectations of women looking for jobs in tech. According to UNESCO data, only 30% of the world’s scientists are women. Furthermore, of the students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics courses, only 35% are women. We are working to the best of our abilities to change that and make sure women have the same opportunities as men when finding work abroad. Our mission is to make the tech industry richer with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As part of our mission of increasing diversity and bringing more women to the international tech market, VanHack is the host of one of the most important events for Women: The Women in Tech Hiring Event.
The very last edition had over 400 women in attendance, more than 1,700-speed interviews, and almost 200 candidates selected!
The next event is happening in April 2022. Join now or refer a friend 💜
How to support women in tech
(not only on International Women’s Day)
Here are some of the resources you can find online to support women in tech and #BreakTheBias:
Invite a friend to Register at Women in Tech Hiring Event at VanHack
Women in Tech Hiring Event
Follow and discover good resources:
Girls Who Code
Girl UP
Women In Tech
Celebrate women’s achievements. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.
IWD
Some influencers we love to follow
(we’d love to add more to the list, so share with us the women in tech you know)
Silvia Coelho | Elas Programam
Nina Talks | UX Design e Tech
Brazilians in Tech
Girls in Tech
Minas Programam
Programaria
She Codes
Hackbright Academy
Black Girls Code
Girl Develop IT
Girls Who Code
Hear Me Code
Leads Learning Code
Lesbians Who Tech
MotherCoders
PyLadies
Rails Girls
SkillCrush
TechGirlz
The Grace Hopper Program
About VanHack
🌎 VANHACK, LinkedIn Talent Awards Winner 2021, is Canada’s most respected recruitment company. With more than 1,500 hires, VanHack is on a mission of increasing diversity and creating a borderless world. So if you are a software developer looking for a job abroad, in Canada, the US, or Europe, join VanHack today. 100% free for candidates, plus you will get all the preparation you need when your profile is shortlisted.
Visit our platform to become one of our many VanHackers hired 😃
For success stories and tips about working in Canada, check out the VanHack Podcast 🎧
Learn more about 📒Premium Academy
Check out the next VanHack event 🗓
