Women in IT? Normality for us. Find out more in the interview with Moriel Pevzner, Junior Software Developer at PROMOS consult!

Take Moriel Pevzner, Junior Software Developer at PROMOS consult, for example. Her mother introduced her to the IT world and topics such as AI at an early age. In an interview with our HR colleague Sophie, she talked about where her interest in programming comes from, how she got started at PROMOS consult and what she hopes for the future.

Hello Moriel! It’s great that you’re here. Would you like to tell us about your career? How did you get to the point where you are today?

Moriel: Gladly! I’m originally from Israel and moved to Germany when I was 21. At first I took a little time to settle in and I thought about exactly what I wanted to do or to study. In the end, I decided on business informatics because I my experience of programming and IT topics in general had been very positive in the past. Now I’m in my last semester at the technical university studying business informatics and have also been working as a junior software developer at PROMOS consult since October.

Was it always clear to you that you wanted to work in the tech world later on? Or when did you become interested in it?

Moriel: Actually not at all. I was never a fan of computer games or anything like that, and I actually have a lot of interests outside of IT. When I was at school, I chose electronics and computer science as my major subjects. From that moment on, I found programming and the like to be totally cool and right for me. That certainly helped me a lot later when it came to choosing a subject to study.

Fascinating! Were there any other female school pupils taking the advanced computer science course?

Moriel: Well, there were six women, including myself, on the advanced electronics course and there were no other women at all in the computer science class. I found that very unusual because I grew up with an understanding of IT at an early age. My family is very interested in AI and my mother worked in the tech world herself. Now I work in the IT industry, as do my siblings.

I think that’s why I never considered it to be just a “male discipline”. I was taught early on that it’s equally normal for all genders.

Would you say that your mother as a role model made it easier for you to enter the world of IT? And, in particular, did that take away your fear of the male-dominated industry?

Moriel: Yes, definitely. I mean, my mother worked in IT for many years and she was always very successful at what she did. She and the rest of my family always motivated me to try things like that too. I think if it hadn’t been for that support and motivation, I probably would never have had the courage to enter the IT industry myself.

Why do you think it is that “only a quarter^[1] of computer science students are female and also in the IT industry itself only about 17 percent of the ‘techies’ are female”?

Moriel: Well, first of all, I’m not at all surprised by the figure, because I witness it myself at university, for example. Many women believe that IT jobs are purely male jobs and are initially put off – they don’t even try it. Personally, I think that’s a real shame.

You have been working in ABAP development at PROMOS consult since October 2022. How did your career start go? What were your first impressions?

Moriel: My first impressions were extremely positive. Everyone was very friendly and made me feel very welcome. Since day one, I have had a mentor by my side who supports me and my continuing personal development. What also helped me a lot was that I was very flexible right from the start and was also allowed to work from home. For example, it enabled me to attend important family events such as my brother’s wedding.

Why do you think the IT industry, and PROMOS consult in particular, is a great opportunity for women?

Moriel: I think it’s a great opportunity because you get to deal with the latest technologies early on and you can learn a lot – even students who haven’t had much practical experience previously. You can be creative and grow with your tasks. What I also like very much is that there are many women in all positions at PROMOS. I feel like I’m treated equally by all my colleagues and I really appreciate the good atmosphere between them. That’s why I think PROMOS offers a great opportunity for all women to enter the IT industry.

As a woman in tech, what do you wish for the future? Do you have any concrete ideas for change?

Moriel: I would like to see more IT opportunities for women, such as programming taster courses or smaller training courses at universities. I also think that mentoring programmes specifically for women make a lot of sense, because women are often a bit insecure – especially because there are so many men in the IT industry. These are great opportunities to get to know yourself and especially your personal strengths better.

What advice would you give to women who want to enter the tech industry and, in particular, join PROMOS consult?

Moriel: Be bold! It’s okay if you don’t know everything yet, and you don’t have to know everything yet. You’ll learn as you go and, most importantly, at your own speed. If you are interested in IT topics, then jump in at the deep end and just try it out – dare to take the plunge!

Thank you, Moriel, for your openness and inspiring words. We look forward to working with you in the future!