Women IT professionals are failing to sell their skills, according to research by IT training firm The Training Camp.

The survey of 270 female IT contractors found that 54% felt they needed proof of qualifications to back up their experience, while their male counterparts simply seemed to talk their way into new positions or projects.

It found 59% claimed their in-depth industry knowledge was being overshadowed by a lack of formal qualifications and more than one-third believed that industry-recognised certification in key technology areas could boost their salaries by as much as 40%.

The Training Camp’s chief executive Rob Chapman says: “The IT industry is beset by an ever increasing skills shortage and women can play a key role in filling this gap. “Despite numerous initiatives to attract women into the sector, those that are already a part of it feel that they are having a hard time. Men aren’t shy in coming forward when it comes to selling their skills. And, whilst women may have exactly the same industry experience they feel they often lose out when applying for new jobs or projects as they don’t have the paper to prove it,” Chapman explained.