Women comprise only 26 per of Britain’s technology workforce, but Nicola Hodson has made it to the very top. The chief executive of IBM UK and Ireland and deputy president of techUK spent 14 years in senior roles at Microsoft and holds an MBA and a PhD in engineering. Here’s her advice to reboot your career.
This person is one of the most important figures in your working life. If they don’t support, inspire and challenge you to be your best, find someone who can.
I call it having your own pit crew. This can be a combination of family, friends, mentors, sponsors, your yoga teacher, a coach who knocks you into shape, as well as your teams at work.
3. Attack problems collaboratively
Understand the problem and then move forward. The more senior you get, the more you will need to bring colleagues into your thinking and work together on the next step.
4. Always have a book (or several) on the go
I got into science by spending time with my father learning about Concorde from an encyclopaedia. I wanted to know how things worked. Now I love dipping in and out of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and there are books about health, wellbeing and spirituality that have changed the way I look at life.
5. Look after yourself:
If you feel overwhelmed, get outside and into nature. I always eat healthy food and set aside time each week for wellbeing.
6. Don’t sit too comfortably
If you feel too comfortable in your job, then it’s probably time to think about changing it.