On the occasion of International Women's Day rediff.com spoke with a number of women who achieved success in careers that are as offbeat as animation, law and fashion designing.
Tara Goel Suri -- Animator and compositor
How did you get interested in your particular field? How long have you been in the field?
I started my career as an animator and compositor as I have a definite incline towards art. Moved to our current line of software along the line... have been in the field for the past 13 years.
Tell us a bit about what you do and how you got started? How easy/difficult was it to break into the profession?
We are in software services business and have recently added a new stream of business which deals with products for the Media Industry.
Our start was small and the path from 4 to 47 people has been slow and difficult; add to that the competitive nature of the software industry and the fact that it is predominantly male dominated.
How easy was it to be a woman in this field? Were you at a disadvantage? Or has it been an advantage in some respects?
It is not easy being a woman in a field that deals with technology, especially with the mindset that only mentions BOYS AND THEIR TOYS.
But being a woman has its distinct advantages, especially when dealing with men at the other end of the table, it's a lot easier getting appointments and attention but it's a very fine line that needs to be tread and professionalism maintained.
What training would be required to make an entry into such a profession? What is the earning potential?
There are a lot of institutes that offer courses in the IT field, like NIIT, Aptech, Karox, etc. But the key is to be able to move from being just a programmer to a project manger where people skills and communication skills become very important. The earning potential is at par if not better than any industry.
What advice would you offer young women interested in this field? Any surprises/ issues they should watch out for?
The real world is a lot harder and demanding than made out in colleges and institutes; one requires a lot of determination and hard work along with talent to succeed here.
Also read: 'There is a glass ceiling for women at the top'
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