IoT, or the Internet of Things, as it has come to be known, is a field that, although new, is raising a lot of interest. Just like everything else new in this world, it was initially male-dominated, however, more and more female attention is being drawn by it, and with attractive job prospects and serious salary packages, this will only grow over time. However, before rushing into a male-dominated field and challenge the norm, you should take a bit of time to prepare yourself for what will ensue. Remember that this is just for the sake of prevention and preparation, it is not something that is set in stone.

1. More learning than ever before

While the Internet is not really that new anymore and all of us use it for one thing or another, the field IoT is. So new, in fact, that it is still in its expansion phase.

That being said, you will need to always study and learn more things about it. There are lots of ways to go about this, you can take courses, study things individually, or simply refer to articles online, such as this one from Forbes.

Another way to better your knowledge in the industry is to know and follow other women who have already made it in the industry. You can follow them on Twitter, learn all about their stories and how they got to where they are today as well as seeing which companies they work for and own or are a part of. You can find a comprehensive list of women in the IOT industry, with all the information you need to know, .

2. Constant adaptation

Another good thing about this being a new field is the fact that you will always find something to do, sometimes outside of work. You will need to be able to adapt and rise up to every challenge thrown your way.

As a woman, you’ll find that you need to make yourself known in the industry, and be adaptable when things change. Make sure you’re attending meetings and networking opportunities. When things start to change, you want to ensure that you’re on the cutting edge.

Luckily, women are much more suited to adapting to change than men. Use this to your advantage, and get the drop on anything new that’s coming out in your field advises Jimmie Wanamaker, a Recruiting Manager at Assignment Help.

3. Brushing up on your sales skills

When you’re dealing with the IoT, you’ll probably think of the hardware that’s involved. However, you’ll need to have excellent sales skills if you really want to succeed. If you’re serious about getting into the field, you’ll need to brush up on those sales skills.

As a woman, you should already have a head start on this. Women are known to be more personable, and able to create a rapport with their customers. Use this to your advantage. Look into improving your skills, either through courses or with a mentor.

4. Hands-on experience with hardware engineering

Again, remember that this is a relatively new field, and there are a lot of things that you will need to learn about in order to make the most out of it. Hardware engineering is one of those things. Once you understand how the physical side of the Internet works, you can take full advantage of the digital side explains John Cherry, a Recruiting Consultant at Essayroo.

One of the best ways to obtain this much-needed experience is by volunteering or finding a career in hardware engineering. You’ll be able to find these courses at home and online using the search term hardware engineering course with your hometown or learn at home courses.

5. Learn how to understand and create software

Now that the IoT is becoming more prevalent in the world, there’s all kinds of new software that’s required to help run items that customers are now using. If you want to get involved, you’re going to need to learn basic programming skills so you can understand how software is created and used.

The best way to do this is to enroll yourself on a programming course, if you haven’t already. There are plenty now being run, as the demand for programming skills has grown in recent years. When you’re looking for courses near you, look into bursaries and scholarships for women going into STEM roles. Many companies want to encourage women to get into STEM, so you can get a lot of help for paying for these courses.

6. Always hunt for opportunities

There will always be new opportunities for you, and a new field also comes with very exciting prospects. Although you will be able to land a position relatively soon, you should always be looking out for new opportunities and new ways to improve yourself.

Of course, as with any type of job, the best place to look for a job is using a job board. These can all be found easily using a Google search of the job type and the location you want to work in. For examples of IOT jobs around the work, you can check out TechnoJobs or AcademAdvisor.

Take advantage of the contacts you’ve created as you’ve started to network. Keep those relationships open and you’ll find that you’ll have more opportunities coming your way. Women are consistently shown to be better at networking, as they create mutual agreements with other women and help each other out.

7. Develop those teamwork skills

With the IoT comes massive workforces, who are involved in every stage of a product’s life cycle. There are designers, programmers, sales staff, and more. You may feel that women don’t have a role to play in the notoriously male dominated STEM fields, but in fact the market is opening up all the time.

Technology companies are now seeing how much they need women in the field. They’re problem solvers by nature, and the IoT is a field that’s still in its infancy. Women can help pave the way for future developments with their innate skills.says Chris Cramer, a Technical Director at Big Assignments.

8. Always stay informed

One of the first things you will notice about any new field, in this case, IoT, is the fact that it is constantly evolving and changing. It is mostly driven by the community that works on it and the standards and micro-standards that often times sprout out. By staying informed and up to date with the actual community, you will be able to always apply the latest standards and always deliver the best quality.

The best way to do this is to take control of your social media profiles and start using them as a tool. Follow influencers and leaders of the industry of their social media pages as well as any relevant news channels you can find related to all things IoT.

LinkedIn will be your main source of information, followed by Twitter and Facebook for the influencers. There are a ton of female influencers in the industry in the list linked in the section above.

9. Become Versatile

Versatility is one of the more important things, especially when it comes to a new field. Truth be told, IoT is still at the stage where there are no actual set standards and no actual guidelines yet, so more or less anything goes.

You’re already a versatile person as you have to adapt to change throughout your entire professional life, especially if you’ve had children while you’re working. You already know how to make yourself the most attractive employment option, thanks to the way you market the experience you have.

That being said, you will need to protect your interests and always look for the best opportunities for you. You can use websites like Coursework Writing or Easy Word Count in order to make sure your resume is always up to date and relevant.

Your cover letter should also reflect a certain standard, especially if you’re applying for a high-level job. You can check that your language isn’t too simple, or too complicated, with Cite It In.

10. It takes lots of data to make a decision

Studies, inquiries, poles, telemetry, and so on. This is all data that you will need to sift through and for good reason.

You will need to know what the trends are and how visitors react to them. This way you can easily adapt to the current market and improve your work as well as be on top of new trends before they actually become prevalent.
There are a few things that you will need to prepare yourself for in order to join the field of IoT as a woman. It is not a hard thing to do, and it is not something that will tax you in any actual way, however, it is still something that you will need to put some forethought into in order to succeed and find your place.

 

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