This article states that many men say they would leave IT if they could and many women do. I let comments like these scare me away from IT for a long time. I graduated from College with a degree in Computer Science but was very skeptical about using it. I had heard lots of bad things about the isolation, the late nights, and general stress. What did I do instead? I Worked a long and endless list of dead end service sector jobs where I got paid next to nothing and could be fired for any reason or no reason. I finally gave in and started an earnest job search for something using my degree. I now have an IT job and although it is at times stressful it is tremendously less stressful than any job I have had before it. I mean when it comes down to it I sit at a computer all day. It sure beats running my butt off delivering pizza, or working sales, constantly fretting about my efficiency. Most people who think IT is too stressful probably haven't had one of the terrible jobs that most Americans work. Try to pay your bills for a few months working at McDonalds and then tell me IT jobs are stressful.
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I know why women leave IT !
Women leave IT because it is infiltrated with male chauvanists and bullies. I should know because I am a female who worked in the IT industry for almost '15 years'. I had very good technical skills before I left and come from a highly successful family of marine and mechanical engineers. I now drive a London taxi for a living and I'd rather be 'beaten up' and stabbed rather and go back into the IT industry again. I addition to my taxi company I also runs another business and my salary is now £60K+ a year. I was too thick to realise that working for someone else was a complete 'waste of time'. I must have been a self employed person trying to escape a 'rat race' of vicious 'no marks'. Must admit that there seems to be a 'culture' that exists within any specfic industry and the male IT workers almost always exhibit the following: 1. Automatically think that woman cannot be technical. 2. Sidelines, bullied and undermines any female IT workers. 3. Is threatened by any woman who knows 'something' about IT. Don't get me wrong.. the men in the Taxi trade are 95% OK and yes there are the 5% of moody male cabbies. I like my male cabby counterparts 500% more that my ex IT male counterparts.. So... there may be some truth in the statement I've just made about the IT culture being 'against' women. Carla
Nice...
Unfortunate as your personal experiences may have been, they fall far short of providing conclusive evidence that your assertion is universally accurate.
I would suggest that by insinuating that this is the case is no less bad than the behavior of the "Male chauvists" you decry.
Lots of anecdotes
There is ample evidence that women do not enter Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in part because they do not get the support (mentoring, financial. etc.) of their male counterparts. There are volumes written about the discrimination against women in these fields - both anecdotal and scientific. Women continue to get paid at approximately the same unequal level as when I entered the workplace in 1971. One of the only fields where this is not true is in nursing - and that field has, as a result of rising salaries, seen a great influx of men.
My experience is that women are interrupted, not included, not invited, and generally ignored. Even in high level positions, a meeting rarely ends without some comment on the woman leader's looks, clothes, sexuality. or kids. This rarely if ever happens for men. Men who have had statistically lower performance statistics have been promoted while the high performing females are left to languish. The only women that succeed in my IT organization are the young, pretties that sleep around that men visibly drool over or the ones who turn into aggressive, swearing, and inhumane managers with high turnover groups that hate her. Pity the pretty who ages out of favor. It is ironic that she does not know what happened to her "brilliance."
In the same workplace, there are women at the VP level who are feminine and competent - all are in the "caring" fields. That combo has never worked in our IT organization - you have the choice of being stepped on or stepping out. The new female CIO might offer a refreshing change of pace. One can hope...
re: Why Women Leave IT
I agree with Carla to the extent that there is still the glass ceiling barrier that women have to overcome within IT, including the chauvinists however this will not stop me in my career within IT. I have been in IT for 10+ years and have been in, and seen, many issues that women deal with. I have no inclinations whatsoever of letting this stop me. With completing my Bachelors in IT this month and getting certifications to go along with that such as MCSE, CCNA, this only solidifies my determination to succeed within the technology industry. When dealing with these issues, you have to establish respect with your counterparts and yes,sometimes confrontation is inevitable but as with any job, you have to take the bad along with the good. My coworkers are mostly male IT workers and I do not have many problems with them, however, they also understand I will not tolerate sexist issues either. IT can be a thankless job sometimes but the rewards in knowing that you have resolved complex issues and helped to provide assistance to your end user community leaves you with a great feeling of accomplishment.
Women in IT
I have been in the IT field since 1976 and have always been have respected for my knowledge. I am currently an IT Manager in a health care setting. However, whenever I am in an impromptu meeting with a new vendor and one or more my staff, I find that the vendor invariably addresses his or her comments to one of my male staff. The men who work on my team are very aware of this and quickly stop the conversation to introduce me as their manager.
I have accepted this as ignorance on the part of vendors or anyone else out there who mistakenly assume I could not be the manager. I have confidence in my abilities and these people soon learn I am the one with whom they must do business.
I find the more frustrating part of IT is the thanklessness of the job. Regardless of whether I am man or woman, I have yet to have a CEO who knows the value of IT to the organization. That is my hurdle to constantly overcome.
Lotsa bitches whining....
Lotsa bitches whining....
I know why women leave IT !
Sorry to hear that was your experience. As a woman in IT for 10 years now, I have run into situations from time to time where a person outside our group will address the male in our group before addressing me, assuming somehow that he's in charge. Those incidents aside, my experience as a female in IT has been quite positive, and many of my company's best and brightest are in fact, women. Though assumptions might be made initially, at the end of the day, those who need my skills will come to me.
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