Happy International Women’s Day!

International Women’s Day, on March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

At Payara, our female employees are part of a world where women are often underrepresented – software! We wanted to speak to a few of them to spotlight their perspective and inspire others. With our flexible working opportunities and progressive maternity leave policy, as well as regular diversity and inclusion training, we are taking steps to ensure our workplace is a great place for women – but there is always more to be done.

Hear from Dominika and Ramya here.

Dominika Tasarz-Sochacka, Senior Marketing Specialist

Can you tell us your role at Payara, and what does a typical day look like for you?

I don’t think I have a typical work day! It very much depends on what we are currently working on. I often juggle a few different campaigns and events so I focus on those that are currently most urgent. This includes working with my colleagues, fellow Payarans, as I often manage the projects that include a lot of input from others. I also work with external community members, Java specialists and evangelists who are involved in our events. A big part of my day to day work is communication with Payara Community of users, managing communciation channels such as emails, as well as managing the internal marketing & comms database.

Did you always know that you wanted to get into the Tech industry, and what interested you about it?

I never really thought I would end up working for Java tech industry! But I’ve been here for over 12 years now and I cannot imagine doing anything else at the moment. Java industry is rather niche, so it’s actually quite a ‘small world’. As a marketing person, I interact with others a lot, so over the years in the industry, I’ve met many great tech, marketing and sales experts and I’m really glad to be part of this world!

How would you say being a woman in tech differs from being a man in tech?

There’s definitely not as many of us there, that’s for sure! Marketing departments usually have more women to man ratios, but once you go ‘into the field’ and start interacting with people face to face, you notice that it is a very much male dominated industry. Saying that, I’ve met plenty of amazing tech women and I am glad to see there’s more of them joining the industry each year.

Do you notice a lack of women in tech, and if so how would you suggest that it changes?

I think the gap is still big, and there’s definitely more men then women in Java industry. I am not sure how we can change this, but my guess is that we have to start at the beginning – encourage young girls who have an interest in IT, computing and engineering, to follow their passion and talent and not get discouraged. Same goes for boys, we need to make sure that they are accepting of
anyone who wants to join their ‘coding club’ at school, no matter whether they are a boy or a girl. I think the change is already happening, so we just have to keep the momentum!

Personally to you, what do you think the best part about being a women in the tech industry is?

I never really thought about it from that perspective. I just do my job and don’t really care that much who I’m working with, especially since I’ve had a chance to work with both men and women. So to me, the benefits that come with working in the Java industry do not really depend on the fact that I am a woman.

What advice would you give to women who want to get into the tech industry?

Just do what you feel is best for you. If you want to go into tech, just do it, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you. And if you ever feel like your sex can be a barrier, speak up. Find other women from the industry who can help, support and advise you – we’re all here to support each other!

What does being a woman in tech mean to you?

It means breaking the steretypes and being part of a growing community of women in Java industry, hopefully encouraging more young female talent to join us!

Ramya Billapati, Senior Payara Service Engineer

Can you tell us your role at Payara, and what does a typical day look like for you?

My role at Payara involves resolving customer issues. My typical day looks challenging and involves a lot of learning and problem solving.

Did you always know that you wanted to get into the Tech industry, and what interested you about it?

Yes, from the very beginning I wanted to get into tech, looking at my cousins and their achievements in the tech industry.

How would you say being a woman in tech differs from being a man in tech?

I don’t see much differences except that that women has more challenges to balance with home life.

Do you notice a lack of women in tech, and if so how would you suggest that it changes?

Yes, I see we have less number of women in tech which has been improving in the recent years. Providing more remote working roles would improve that number even further.

Personally to you, what do you think the best part about being a women in the tech industry is?

I feel like it’s more easier for women in the tech industry to have a greater work life balance than in the other industries.

What advice would you give to women who want to get into the tech industry?

Don’t be afraid, work hard and you will soon be here!

What does being a woman in tech mean to you?

It means that I am enjoying doing what I want to do and improving myself.

Want to join us at Payara? Check out our open roles and sign up for job alerts here.

Topics: Fish Food, Giving Back

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