PowerToFly and Audible presented an event for women in tech

PowerToFly andAudible presented an veranstaltung for women in tech PowerToFly was thrilled to team up with Audible to present an exclusive event for women in tech on Wednesday July 20th. Held at Audibles gorgeous office in Newark, New Jersey a capacity crowd was treated to a series of presentations focusing on the current and upcoming technology behind Audibles popular products. Before and after the presentations, guests were able to network with their peers and the Audible team over delicious food and sparkling wine. Some of the topics discussed in the evening includedChrome Dev ToolsWeb App Security HTTP/2Resource HintsServerless ComputingJamy Barton, Audibles Sr. Director, Tech Diversity kicked off the evening with a warm welcome, speaking about the companys commitment to diversity, before turning the mic over to PowerToFlys CoFounders Milena Berry and Katharine Zaleski who explained that PowerToFly only team ups with companies that truly care about diversity and inclusion and tha t Audible is such a company. Moving into the tech portion of the night, Sr. Director, Software Development (and male ally) Ian Moraes introduced the presentations. The Audible web team speakers includedNeha Koul Software Development EngineerOleksandra Usova Software Development EngineerJane Li Software Development EngineerGarima Agarwal Software Development EngineerNancy Huang Software Development EngineerThe programming wrapped up with lighting introductions from Chandana Kanchanagari, Sr. Manager, Software Developer and Bidisha Das, Sr. Manager, Software Developer as well as an audience QAFollow Audible on PowerToFly for updates about mora events and open roles. An Audible ad greets you as you exit from the train station One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of L abor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leader ship position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.