Ashley Coffey Emerging opportunities for women in technology

ASHLEY COFFEY:

Emerging opportunities for women in technology

BY GARLAND MCWATTERS

Ashley Coffey, the current president of Women In Tecthnology, says one of the lessons of leadership she has learned is the importance of speaking up and addressing issues that are inappropriate or unfair.

She says that even though the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) industries are booming in Oklahoma, she believes there is a need to speak out for more access to educational and certification opportunities for women seeking technology careers.

Coffey is the Director of Technology and Integration at XALTER in Tulsa, a technology company specializing in virtual reality applications. XALTER worked with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission to develop the Greenwood Rising XR app. Coffey explains, “It’s a great app to take the audience through the rich history of Black Wall Street and the businesses that thrived down Greenwood Avenue. . . It’s an exciting representation of taking technology and storytelling and bringing that to the forefront.

Women under-represented in technology

U.S. Census Bureau statistics show that 7% of U.S. workers are in STEM occupations. Within that segment, men hold 73% of the jobs and women only 27% although women make up 47% of the total workforce.

Ashley Coffey

According to Built In, a national community united around a shared passion for tech, women account for only 34.4% of the total workforce at the world’s five largest tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft).

Coffey encourages women not to under value their skills and qualifications but to give themselves credit for their knowledge and skill and apply for tech jobs.

“Don’t feel like you have to be perfect to apply for a job. ”

She advises women not to preempt themselves in

Ashley headed to Apple HQ for training, above. Ashley and her husband, Shawn, right.

the job market.

“They look at a job description and say, ‘I only meet

ninety percent, ’ and they still don’t apply for a job.

Hot opportunities for women in tech careers

Ashley says that for the next decade she expects the top hot career to be in cyber security. She explains that since the recent cyberattacks on American companies by foreign powers, the nation is becoming more aware of the need for internet and cyber security.

With what she calls the “crazy amount of data we

Ashley as a Presenter on Virtual Reality and Storytelling at 2021 South by Southwest Education Conference online. Ashley presenting at OKWISE conference with panelists Tammy Torkelson (r) and taylor Potter (l). Ashley tries out virtual reality viewer, below.

produce every day, ” data science and data analysis are

other hot areas.

Coffey singles out project management as another career area where women could stand out.

Any job in development that involves writing computer programs or apps, programs for virtual reality and building virtual experiences, such as in vocational training, all are STEM areas. She predicts these areas will quadruple in growth during the next few years.

Lessons learned for future growth

Coffey was recognized in 2016 in the NextGen Under 30 Oklahoma representing the technology and STEM category. She also presented a TEDxOU talk (2019) on cultivating women’s empowerment with technology.

She quotes Henry David Thoreau when her thoughts turn to what success means to her.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as who you become.

Ashley presenting at TEDxOU.

Coffey speaks about how the journey to success is never a direct route, and the journey is more important than the destination.

Along those lines, Coffey says she has learned that she doesn’t have to try to control everything. There are very few things over which she has any control. However, she can control her attitude.

“Your attitude toward life can make the difference between you having a great day and you having a horrible day, ” she said.

Furthermore, cultivating a spirit of gratitude has made a profound difference to her.

“I couldn’t do what I do on my own. I do it with the amazing support of my friends and family… Let those people who are part of your support system know you are grateful for that. They are the unsung heroes behind all of us, ” she said. n

Listen to the complete interview with Ashley Coffey on The Spirit of Leading podcast at https://liveinpowered.com/spirit-of-leading-podcast/