Today I was part of an incredible event that saw employee resource groups of Lloyds Banking Group - Breakthrough, Women in Data, Women ConnecTech and Women in Security – all #collaborate at this scale for the first time. 'Step into Data, Tech & Security' virtual all-day event was designed to ignite curiosity and offer guidance to those keen on exploring and advancing careers in tech, data or security.
Why #TechDataSecurity? The answer is quite powerful. Recent #EmergingTech advancements are believed to be approaching a pivotal shift in our lifestyle, potentially surpassing the impact created by the internet and smartphones. Banking and Finance is no exception to this change, hence LBG has also embarked on its biggest transformation journey yet. We know that the right outcomes for customers rely not only on brilliantly built tech, but also on the data we use, and integrate into our systems, along with stringent security measures. Moreover, delivering exceptional outcomes requires diverse talent, reflective of our society at large, collaborating inclusively towards the right kind of change. And we know that in the UK, we still have a way to go in achieving gender diversity with only 29% of women currently in tech roles.
All of this fuels my drive for the work that I do, hence I felt incredibly privileged to lead an opening session on ‘Future-Proofing our Careers’ joined and supported by an exceptionally inspiring leader, People Director Sarah Underhill. Together we set the scene for the sessions to follow that would delve into colleague stories, tech, data and security roles, skills in-demand, re-skilling and upskilling journeys available, mentoring, networking and even improving CV and application skills.
Here's our 3 key tips on career progression:
1) Embrace a Growth mindset: Nurture your eagerness to learn, unlearn, relearn, and scrutinize your existing knowledge and skills. Be open to change and accept that today’s expertise may become redundant tomorrow – and that’s ok. The World Economic Forum projects 44% of worker’s core skills shifting in the next 5 years. While the exact change remains unclear, we're already observing cognitive skills, such as analytical and creative thinking, resilience, agility, self-awareness, empathy - all becoming equally in-demand as technological literacy and leadership. 'Soft skills' are now core!
2) Cultivate curiosity. Allow it to guide you towards answers and insights quicker. In this fast-evolving world, a curious mindset will help you spot valuable hints, tips, and directions long before any formal training or guidance is created.
3) Recognise that career paths today can be wonderfully squiggly and varied. Focus on finding a path that resonates, feels authentic and right for you, and take your first steps from there.
Would you like to #TakeTheNextStep and #StepIntoDataTechSecurity?
Rachel Osikoya Camille Lawrence Yvonne Achan-Oryema Charlie Godolphin
Transforming Nonsense (Data) into Make Sense (Information) | Azure Data | PowerBI | Tableau | MSBI | Tool Agnostic
3dCRIF, definitely has a great culture, atmosphere and ofcourse people. I got a chance to work with CRIF for around 6 months on a contract role from Silicus and could feel the great vibe.