On Tuesday, 29th November, Oksana Meleshykhina, who is a Senior Technical Program Manager for Microsoft, delivered a talk to pupils in Years 10-13, discussing the pursuit of a career in technology.

 

The first topic of discussion was the variety of careers available in the field of technology. Ms Meleshykhina prompted the start of a conversation with the example of a smartphone connected pacemaker - a device which emits electrical pulses to maintain a normal heart rate. She asked the audience which roles and skills would be required to design this tool effectively. An array of answers arose from the audience, such as hardware design, electrical engineering and biological understanding of the body. This range of roles clearly displayed that no matter what you may be interested in, there is a role in the field of technology that caters to you, whether it is design, AI, web developing or more!

 

The speaker went on to discuss the perks of working in tech. A job in this field allows for constant learning, flexibility and the opportunity to travel – just some amongst many other perks! 

 

Prompted by a question from a member of the audience, Ms Meleshykhina then spoke about the effects of misogyny in a male dominated field. As somebody who has worked in the field of technology since 1997, Ms Meleshykhina spoke thoroughly on this topic. Although misogyny may not be considered by some to be as prominent as it has been in the past, she commented that it is still an issue in her field of work. She encouraged female students to not be disheartened by this, and in the simplest words, to “just go for it!”

 

Ms Meleshykhina left the audience with some words of advice: that we must define our own futures. Ultimately, young people are the future; the speaker stressed that it is of the utmost importance to not just experience the future of the world, but to be a part of it and make it our own. A member of the audience, Mimi Ekatitie commented that the talk was “very enjoyable and informative” and provided “helpful insight into the world of technology, as well as what it is like to be a woman in this field”.