Published on 18 November 2024

«Having a woman in the team is enriching.»

Yogani Yogalingam is completing an apprenticeship at swisstopo as an information technologist with Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training Specialism System and Network Technology.

© Adrian Moser Photography

When I was in school, my teacher told me that I would be suited to a technical profession. I’d say that my strengths are mainly in logical reasoning and mathematics. Language isn’t really my thing. But to begin with, when I left school I didn’t know which career I wanted to pursue. And so I did work experience as a florist, commercial employee, pharmacist and pharmaceutical assistant as well as at a veterinary practice to gain insights into a variety of areas.

Next, I did trial apprenticeships in IT at various companies, which I liked from the start – especially platform development. As a platform developer, you don’t only code, you also work on servers and collaborate with others to develop custom solutions for them. I knew that IT had a future and would offer me a great deal of career prospects, so I sent in my application.

As I had attended a «Realschule», finding an apprenticeship in IT proved difficult. swisstopo was the first employer to see me in person. After an initial meeting, my current supervisor directly offered me a place. I jumped at the chance and accepted the offer.

I’m aware that I don’t fit the typical IT stereotype. That’s something I hear a lot. And it’s true that at the vocational school in Bern, only a handful of IT graduates are female. In fact, I’m the only girl in my class. But that doesn’t bother me. On the contrary: the boys think it’s cool that I’m interested in IT, and they are supportive of me. The main difference between them and me is probably that I’m better organised and always complete tasks straight away instead of putting them off.

The work I create is generating a direct benefit for employees, swisstopo and ultimately for society as a whole.

Yogani Yogalingam, apprentice Information Technologist, Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training

Right now, I’m the only geoinformatics apprentice at swisstopo. But in total there are 24 of us apprentices in various areas of the federal office. I think that’s great because we can socialise and spend coffee and lunch breaks together, and it’s a nice group of people. It’s good to have that diversity. Later this year, I’ll become a «senior apprentice»: the new IT apprentice – also a woman – is currently completing her basic year and will join our team in the summer.

In my day-to-day work, I don’t deal with geodata and maps directly, but we do provide the relevant IT infrastructure for them. Among other things, this involves packetising, installing and configuring software for employees and resolving technical issues. What I like about my job is that I can take an active role in production. I am able to be involved and not just work away in solitude. The work I create is then put to use, generating a direct benefit for employees, swisstopo and ultimately for society as a whole.

Of course, IT isn’t for everyone, whether female or male. But as long as it interests you and you enjoy what you do, it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. Women can do things at least as well as men and we often have a different mindset. So it is enriching to have female members in the team who can contribute different perspectives, different approaches and new solutions. So I’d advise all young women to be courageous when choosing a career path.

More information about the apprenticeship at swisstopo

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