Emily Limberaki is a public employee in the field of Administration-Economics, and has more than 20 years of experience with technology and digital transformation. In this interview for Women4IT with CreThiDev, she discusses her career development within the digital sector, the benefits for women of employment in this field, and her advice for how to start out in a rapidly changing society.
W4IT: Could you tell me more about who you are and what you are doing?
Emily Limberaki: I am a public employee in the field of Administration-Economics, and former Educator in the Central Service of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. I have been using PCs for more than 20 years. I am also a certified operator (as an ICT Instructor), having received distant learning from experts in HR management, DBM-Employment and European policies. I digitise files such as texts, photos and documents and archive them based on various archiving programs. In addition, I am a member of committees of the Ministry on eGovernment and Digital Transformation topics, and have participated in numerous conferences and seminars as a rapporteur and speaker. I make great use of new technologies for the exchange of official and personal information, documents and records for communication, and for information for research regarding official and unofficial historical, legal and other documents for my publications and more. My hobbies include writing about educational, social and political issues, formulating and online-disseminating new ideas through social networks and online media.
W4IT: How did you reach the point you are currently at, in your career?
EL: My nine years of service in the private sector, in particular at GSEVEE (General Confederation of Professional Craftsmen and Traders of Greece / Small and Medium Enterprises), in the field of Public-International Relations and European Programs, motivated me to make use of new technologies. The new technology requirements and voluntary lifelong learning led to further skills development.
W4IT: What are the advantages for a woman to seek employment in the technology sector?
EL: Firstly, a key advantage is that the new technologies provide equal opportunity for men and women, because everything depends on real skills and qualifications and there are no barriers such as body type and strength. A second benefit is liberation from the cycle of infinite, highly repetitive tasks and work conditions that turn women into sheer operators with no time for further developing their skills. Working in the field of new technologies gives you strength and time to be creative; it is up to every person to make use of this. Additionally, it provides you with the chance to be productive no matter where you are, thus diminishing the traditional obstacles posed to professional women, in relation to the social stereotypes that force them to remain at home.
W4IT: What are the advantages for an enterprise to have a woman employed in the technology sector?
EL: Today, almost all enterprises have introduced new technologies and are connected to the internet. A series of jobs that previously required long training and endless bureaucracy have been eliminated. The working woman can now work in a better environment and hold employment positions that were previously occupied by men. New technologies enable women to enter the labour market and work for the business equally as productively, without the necessity of physical presence.
W4IT: Why is the development of digital skills important for women, in relation to opportunity?
EL: The development of new technologies in all sectors is a necessary condition for the development and evolution of societies. With the fourth industrial revolution and automation processes, women are able to occupy jobs that are primarily based on their intellectual abilities, thus offering equal opportunities to get a job.
W4IT: What is your advice for young women wishing to start their career in the digital technology sector?
EL: My first tip is to take advantage of their studies and use self-assessment to help them engage in their own learning, so they can improve their adaptability to any technological developments and changes. The second thing they need to know is that the introduction of revolutionary technologies into business and society is rapid, as is the depreciation of current skills that relate to previous technologies. The acquisition of continuous learning and adaptation skills is the weapon of every working woman, to acquire new qualifications and respond swiftly to any technological change. Constant acquisition of new knowledge and skills is the only weapon – the woman’s answer to the rapidly changing labour market with technology.
Interview by CreThiDev
