Peer networks key to success

Peer networks can help female IT leaders succeed in their career and boost job satisfaction, according to a Purdue University expert.

Studies have found that about 20% of IT jobs are held by women, and an even smaller segment are CIOs. Gail Farnsley, a visiting professor in Purdue’s Department of Computer and Information Technology and a former VP of IT and CIO at Cummins, says developing strong support systems is one way to help retain women in tech fields.

“Women face special issues when they pursue careers like being a CIO where it is not unusual to have 70-hour workweeks,” Farnsley says. “I know a lot of female CIOs who have left their jobs, not because they didn’t love it, but because they felt so conflicted when it comes to work vs. family life.”

To be sure, men face some of those same work-life balance challenges, but one distinction is that women are in the minority in the IT workplace.

Farnsley recommends creating a peer network of women in IT, whether it’s within your own company or a larger network that brings together women from different firms and regions. It may be as simple as a weekly lunch.

“The important thing is to identify the women in your workplace, your community, and your field, then reach out to them and talk on a regular basis about the job, the family, your successes, concerns and anything else you more comfortable talking with women about,” she says.