Job seekers with computing skills face a rosy future if today’s forecast proves true: The U.S. Department of Labor predicts there will be more than 1.2 million computing-related job openings by 2022—and far from enough qualified workers to fill those jobs. What’s more, female candidates for information technology (IT) jobs are expected to be in high demand as companies seek to adjust the gender balance of their workforce.
Currently, for example, women comprise just 15% of the technical staff at Facebook and 17% of the workforce at Google, according to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times. Even Pinterest, a social network that’s hugely popular with women, has trouble attracting female tech talent.
If you’re a woman considering a career in IT, there are many upsides to entering the field, including positions that are well-compensated, and fairly equal when comparing experience, education, and job titles. However, you may have to navigate some challenges that your male counterparts don’t. So what should women keep in mind to thrive in IT?
1. Choose your battles.
While it might seem tempting to try and fix every injustice you encounter, it’s a better idea to pick your battles, according to Dr. Carolyn Taylor, Master Researcher at ZTE and graduate of Capella University’s PhD in General Information Technology program. “Different situations call for different tactics, and sometimes those tactics require you to do the most difficult thing of all, nothing.”
She recommends ignoring the offenders—if they can’t get a rise out of you, they lose interest in trying. Not that you don’t deserve to work in a safe and comfortable environment—it just may take time and patience to get there in a way that doesn’t alienate you from all your co-workers.
2. You’ll have to prove your worth regularly.
“This is something that persists, for me, to this day,” says Taylor. “When a new set of customers arrive at my current organization, I’m usually assumed to be something of a secretary or just a ‘data processing girl.’” When customers have been used to dealing with primarily male IT workers, it can take time for them to realize that women are, in fact, part of IT too—and good at it.
“It’s easy to become offended and to be frustrated. It can be exhausting to feel you constantly have something to prove. However, I’ve learned to just—stop. Stop allowing the situation to affect my mood and demeanor and merely just do the job I know I am capable of doing. I actually do not have to prove anything, it turns out.”
That doesn’t mean you’re willing to be a doormat. And don’t always assume someone is deliberately trying to discriminate against you.
3. Communication and multitasking are key.
Women have some skills that make them as valuable—if not more so—than men in the IT world. Alena Levina, Senior Systems Developer at Capella, notes that women are often good communicators, helpful in a field where there’s a strong demand for people who can translate “geek” speak to a business user. “Women have great ability to multitask. We’re wired that way, so use it to your advantage. Some people may think that multitasking is not a great thing. But there are busy days when priorities shift and deadlines change, and I often need to switch focus and do multiple things at once. And I get it done.”
4. It will take continuous learning and hard work.
The programming world is mostly all men, and surveys show women believe they lack skills needed in technology to get into the field. But Levina says women should rethink that idea. “I found in my career that, as in any other profession, you earn your skills and reputation by learning and excelling in what you do. Starting with junior level programming, you can grow into senior experienced programmer by working hard, searching for solutions, asking right questions, coding by trial and error at times, just getting better at it every time.
“Practice makes perfect. Coworkers and managers always appreciate a positive attitude and willingness to learn. I didn’t have any programming language knowledge when I switched to IT from accounting, but I knew I had great aptitude for technology and I was willing to dig in and learn. Experience and reputation is gained through hard work.” Don’t get discouraged—instead, focus on getting education and experience.
5. Eventually, you can change the game.
Taylor has seen this happen in her workplace. “I believe because of my work ethic, knowledge, and perseverance in standing up for myself as respectfully as possible, I have changed our organization for the better. I can see it in the little things, in the ways the men talk about women when they think I’m not listening, in the ways that they now consider their interaction with the few other women in the organization. I can see them considering their words and comments before they make them. I was able to do all of this without shouting matches or rudeness, but also by not allowing myself to feel objectified, diminished, or degraded. Because, bottom line, I should not ever have to feel that way merely to keep from ‘making conflict.’”
Whether you’re new to IT or ready for the next level, Capella offers information technology degree programs to help you advance in your career.
