Why Tech is For Moms

For moms, flexibility is everything. So it’s no surprise that 78% of working moms cite “flexible work options” as a top-three factor for evaluating jobs, alongside “work-life balance” (82%), and “work schedule” (77%). When the unexpected crops up (and it always does), it’s a huge help having an employer who lets you navigate work and parenting responsibilities on your terms.

Unfortunately, that type of flexibility is still pretty hard to find in most industries — except in tech. While women in tech only hold 35% of tech jobs today, the good news is that it’s a space where women can find the types of company cultures and careers that support them as working moms.

Here’s why moms in tech thrive, based on the experiences of four amazing TripleTen graduates.

Tech welcomes women rejoining the workforce

According to the MomProject, 43% of highly skilled women leave the workforce after becoming mothers. But for many, this is a short-term solution to a lack of flexibility and access to childcare. A return to work, whether full time or part-time, is often the plan once kids are in school.

Historically, a resume gap spanning years used to be detrimental to women rejoining the workforce. But attitudes are finally starting to shift, especially in the tech industry, where 79% of employers say they hire candidates with non-traditional backgrounds for tech roles. Read on to hear how being a mom in tech makes life a little easier when returning to work.

Yuliya’s story: Breaking into tech after taking two years off with her son

Moving overseas to California and earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering is impressive enough, but Yuliya Khilko_{From Chemical Engineering to Motherhood to Tech : Yuliya Khilko’s TripleTen Story} is no stranger to tenacity. She had just settled into a career as a biotech research associate when she was faced with a tough decision: Hire a nanny to care for her two-month old child or drop out of the workforce altogether. She chose her son.

Two years later, a chance conversation at her husband’s office party sparked a new career idea. Hearing his colleague’s story of switching jobs from musician to front-end developer inspired Yuliya to get into tech, too. Drawn by the promise of a better salary and job security, she decided to enroll in a free online course. But it wasn’t structured enough, so when she saw TripleTen’s Software Engineering Bootcamp in a Women Who Code newsletter, she knew the program’s combination of flexibility and rigor was what she needed to graduate job-ready.

After her studies came to a close, Yuliya joined TripleTen’s career track and worked hard on developing a persuasive portfolio. That, paired with her persistence on job boards and career groups, helped her land a software engineer role at lululemon. She’s been there two years now and loves the security and real-time flexibility that her tech job brings for her family.

Pinwei’s story: Changing careers after seven years at home with three kids

Over a decade ago, Pinwei Wu_{A New Country, A New Career, A New Calling: Pinwei Wu’s TripleTen Story} was working in industrial engineering as a key part of a team that has a patent on ground-breaking LCD tech. But then two key things happened: She became a mother and her family moved to the US from Taiwan.

After seven years of being a stay-at-home mom with three kids, Pinwei was ready for a change. She decided to pursue a second master’s in statistics at the university where her husband worked. A research internship at the university’s medical center helped her realize she enjoyed building websites, which inspired her to look for programming courses online.

Pinwei found TripleTen’s Software Engineering Bootcamp through an ad and decided to enroll. Juggling three kids and her coursework during the pandemic wasn’t easy, but she was inspired to set an example for her family. Upon graduating, she landed a developer job at Workbay, where she’s worked for two years helping job seekers find training and improve their resumes.

Tech doesn’t make you choose between motherhood and a career

Across the board, tech companies tend to be more flexible when it comes to work schedules (and more explicitly committed to diversity and inclusion) than their more traditional counterparts. In fact, 97% of technology companies offer some work location flexibility.

That flexibility translates to workplace cultures that support working moms. For example, the ability to break up working hours around caregiving activities, block off meeting-free focus days, and respond to unexpected disruptions like illnesses in the family. That, paired with benefits like parental leave and unlimited PTO, make tech an industry where moms can grow their career.

Rachelle’s story: Finding better work-life balance, benefits, and pay

In 2019, Rachelle Perez_{From Tourism Sales to Data Science at Spotify: TripleTen Grad Rachelle Perez Lands a Career in Tech} had already been working in tourism for a decade. Over three separate companies, her job had mostly been about building and improving the processes tour resellers used for group bookings. Then, two months shy of her five-year anniversary, she was laid off.

Rachelle started looking for a new job outside of tourism, where she’d experienced long hours for low pay. She completed a data bootcamp sponsored by New York City  and landed her first entry-level position. But she quickly realized she needed more training, which led her to TripleTen’s Data Science Program and a new role at a top company.

Now an associate data analyst at Spotify, Rachelle enjoys great health insurance, more paid time off and sick days, and the option to work from home. She’s happy with the company culture and most importantly, has more time with her son.

Evgeniia’s story: Pivoting to data science during the pandemic as a mom

In 2019, Evgeniia Unzhakova_{How an Immigrant Landed a Career in the US: Evgeniia Unzhakova’s TripleTen Story} and her family were newcomers to the US. And while she had almost a decade of experience teaching mathematics at the university level, she quickly realized she needed a new career path. After some exploration, she stumbled upon data science_{Is Data Science a Good Career Choice in 2024?}.

Evgeniia considered getting a degree, but was hungry to get into the workforce quickly. TripleTen’s Data Science Bootcamp appealed to her and she enrolled. Then the pandemic hit and she was suddenly home with her two children. Evgeniia developed a time management strategy that worked for everyone and allowed her to complete her course on schedule.

Today, Evgeniia is back in academia as a research analyst at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she uses her know-how to increase enrollment in the school. Confident in her career, she continues to invest in her new field with a natural language processing project.

Curious about tech? See which career is right for you

Tech is truly an industry open to anyone willing to learn. Because there are so many different types of tech careers, you don’t even need a background in STEM to be successful. This is one of the many reasons why tech is a great choice for working moms. All you need is an open mind, a little grit and determination, and the right kind of training to help you start off strong.

Still figuring out which path is right for you? Take our career quiz to get personalized advice.