With many roles in tech, and a primary focus on technical roles, many woman are unknown to the fact that there are a range of opportunities to work in tech, outside of technical roles that require skills like coding. These roles are referred to as non-technical roles in tech.
To celebrate woman in tech, we sat down with 2x Winner of the Businesswoman of the Year Awards (2020 & 2021) at Network Limerick, Lyndsey Hall, who currently works in digital marketing as a Social Media and Communications Manager.
"Digital marketing is constantly evolving, with huge developments in mobile consumption, AI, personalisation, and video."
In her non-technical role in tech, Lyndsey shares more on how she manages digital communications and strategy projects at Piquant Media, as well as what she's learnt in her 6 years of experience as a woman in tech:
What role are you currently in within tech? /Tell me a bit about yourself.
I’ve worked in Digital Marketing for the past 6 years and currently work at Piquant Media, managing multi-platform national campaigns across the education, health, tech and environmental sectors.
I also tutor on modules at the University of Limerick, contribute to the Digital Marketing Institute, and mentor graduates with Gradguide.
What do you do in your role?
In my role at Piquant, I apply my knowledge of the digital sphere across design, campaign, video and production projects, providing digital marketing services across social, digital and display. What I love about working in digital marketing is the perfect balance of technical, creative and strategic aspects.
What’s one achievement that stands out to you in your ‘role’?
At Piquant we work with many NGOs, research centres, SaaS companies and SMEs that are trying to make a difference, and getting the opportunity to work with organisations that genuinely offer something valuable to society is one of my favourite things about the job.
What do you enjoy the most about being in a leadership position?
My favourite thing about working with a team is the opportunity to collaborate, learn and build relationships. I also find it so rewarding to share knowledge and inspire others to try new things or put themselves out there, so meeting ambitious people and getting to help shape their future is a wonderful experience.
Do you have any advice for women looking to get into a leadership or founding role?
There are so many things women can do to build their profile and show their readiness for a leadership position. You can gain leadership experience through volunteering, whether it be managing a team or sitting on a committee. You can also demonstrate your expertise in your area by grabbing any opportunity to teach, train or just share your knowledge. Mentoring is hugely valuable - seek out a mentor you can learn from, and once you feel comfortable, mentor others to develop your leadership and coaching skills.
What was your first role in digital marketing?
My first role was digital marketing for the International Education Division in the University of Limerick, managing social and digital strategy and advertising, ppc, web, SEO, and communications. I was so lucky to get this role straight after finishing my degree and it was the perfect career starter.
What did it teach you about being a woman in the industry/workplace?
I’m very focussed on the future and constantly future proofing my career.
I definitely struggled with confidence in the early years of my career and was anxious about how I was perceived by others, questioning whether I actually inspired respect or appreciation, or whether I was viewed as someone with anything important to say or offer.
I think becoming confident in your expertise and knowledge in your chosen field is the first step to recognising your own potential, and mentors are essential to helping you get there. I’ve been lucky enough to have had excellent female mentors throughout my career and their belief, encouragement and inspiration has helped me to respect and believe in myself.
What does success within your career look like for you?
I find in my career that I am constantly striving to do more - I am always looking for the next opportunity and I have a mindset of always saying YES. I definitely wasn’t always like this, and I’ve overcome a lot of confidence issues that previously would have held me back.
I think success to me would be keeping this attitude for as long as I can, continuing to love my work so much that I always want to take on more, and making sure new opportunities I can say ‘yes’ to are always coming my way.
What advice or tips do you have for women who want to get into tech?
Always be learning.
Digital marketing is constantly evolving, with huge developments in mobile consumption, AI, personalisation, and video.
Any successful digital marketer needs to be constantly upkilling and showing that they are eager to keep up with current trends. There's also a lot you can do to acquire and develop the technical skills that will take your digital marketing practice to the next level, such as HTML, SEO and Data Analytics.
The boom of online courses makes this a lot easier these days! If you're just starting out, do as many of these online courses as you can, or take the initiative to dive into a digital marketing platform and software and start getting to grips with it.
Wanna learn more about woman in tech,
check out our interview with Co-founder of Carestock,
