Danielle Allan (Carroll) is a core Systems Engineer for EMC Federal Division. She began her career in IT with an internship at 17 years old, went on to major in Information Science at Christopher Newport University, then worked at Northrop Grumman and CSC before beginning her EMC career in 2010 through the Global Services Associate Program (GSAP). You can find her on twitter @DanielleAllan12 (sometimes she’s funny).
Advice for Young Women Interested in IT (Guest Blog by Danielle Allan)
As a (relatively) young woman in the IT industry I am often asked “do you have any advice for my daughter/niece/friend’s daughter/etc. who is interested in going to school for/a career in technology?” This particular industry can be daunting to a young woman as it is typically male-dominated. Once you’re in it, though, it really isn’t all that scary and is actually pretty accepting.
My best piece of advice would be: just go for it! If you have an interest in, and passion for, technology you will fit right in no matter who you are.
The biggest issues I hear are that: 1) young women don’t feel that they fit in to the IT nerd spectrum, nor do they want to; and 2) it’s hard to break into the “old boys club.”
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in the IT industry grew up (or even spent any time at all) chugging Mountain Dew and eating Doritos in his or her parents’ basement while hosting LAN parties and hacking into things.
The “nerd” or “geek” stereotype is not something that you have to conform to in order to be successful. Sure, a lot of us are nerds. My twitter bio proudly proclaims that there’s “no shame in my nerd game,” but that’s because I choose to identify with that part of my personality. I’m also a sorority alumna who plays sports in my free time and has never attempted to hack into anything.
Every industry has its own version of geekdom: when all is said and done, a “geek” is just someone who is really passionate about what they do. The “nerd spectrum” can be expanded, bent, and changed. Challenge it. Defy it. Make it your own.
The IT industry itself is changing. The paradigm shift from old school technology to mobile, agile, and big data is practically begging for people like you: people who know exactly what users want in a final product because you have been a consumer of mobile apps for as long as you can remember. You know the power of social media and the data it produces because you’ve seen it, created it, and been a part of it. You already have insight into big data and where it is going. You are the face of the new IT. You are the third platform.
I don’t believe that you should consider the “old boys club” a barrier or something to break into. I view those who came into the industry before I did as a group of very intelligent people with whom knowledge sharing is mutually beneficial. You will learn a lot if you’re not focused on trying to fight against them to prove that you belong there.
It’s not the “old boys club” versus a young woman coming into the industry. It’s people who know where IT has been as well as where it’s going; it’s a person who has a lot to learn from them as well as a lot to bring to the table.
I reached out to a few women in the industry who I find inspiring in order to provide you with some more insight. Here is what they had to say:
Rhonda Sakarya, Systems Engineer Manager at EMC
- What’s the best piece of advice you would give to a girl or woman who is interested in beginning a career in IT?
“The best piece of advice I would give is to find strong female mentors and role models. It can be a reassuring thing to feel like you’re not alone and blazing a trail. Along the way I’ve been fortunate to have mentorship from women who had either professional attributes or career paths I wanted to emulate. These mentors demonstrated intellect, communication skills, assertiveness and leadership. They provided me with the feedback, tips and development goals that would catapult me to the next levels. I could never have figured that out on my own!” - What has been your biggest challenge in your career so far that is related to being a woman in the industry?
“Hands down, becoming a mother. IT is an industry that is always on with complex, time consuming projects. I had to learn how to prioritize the most important things and know when to say “Ok, this is good enough”. Before having a child, I could take that last minute trip, study for hours to get a certification and make sure my presentations were meticulous. Now, I have to get really good at focusing my energy on the things that have the most impact, planning well and not being so hard on myself.” - What could’ve helped you better prepare for the challenges you’ve faced?
“A nanny! Just kidding. Seriously, I go back to role models and a support network. It’s all about surrounding yourself with other women who build you up and give you confidence. If they can do it, then I can do it. I recently had the opportunity to gain mentorship from a female executive. I asked her if she ever gets scared. You know what she said? All the time! Then [whatever it is] she does it anyway. That’s probably the best piece of vulnerability and advice I’ve gotten. To see someone who looks so put together admit that she’s human.” - What’s the most positive part of being a woman in the industry?
“For me, it’s showing other women that they can do this too. You can be a wife, a mother, and a valuable employee who gets a sense of fulfillment. You can offer diverse ideas, talents and perspectives to the companies you represent. There are many career fields women can enter into. Hopefully my example shows them that technology, math, science, leadership are well within their reach!”
Erin Banks, Virtualization Architect at Juniper
(Twitter: @banksek, Blog: commondenial.com)
- What’s the best piece of advice you would give to a girl or woman who is interested in beginning a career in IT?
“Don’t worry about what other people think of you. Always be yourself. Focus on your goal and what you want to accomplish. Don’t worry about what they say about you. You got this far… you know there are double standards and you wanted to make a difference. Always believe in yourself and build a network for yourself that helps you grow and learn and become the best YOU. I try to tell those that I mentor that they need to learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” - Do you think being a woman sets you apart in the industry (in a positive or negative way) or do you feel equal to your peers?
“I do not think of myself as a woman in the industry. I think of myself as a strong individual that has passion for my field, for the customer, for technology and I work my ass off for all of them. I don’t have time to compare myself to anyone but myself. I surround myself with people that treat me as an equal. The only time that I notice the difference is at conferences. The shirts are rarely for woman both for booth duty and as gifts.” - Knowing the challenges that you’ve faced would you still have made the choice to go into this industry?
“Absolutely! I was meant to be in this field. I would hate to think that any woman would not go into the industry because of the challenges. Life is about challenges and if you are passionate about the field then you know that challenges are dealt with everyday no matter what your gender is. Don’t let anyone else drive you away from something you are passionate about.” - What’s the most positive part of being a woman in the industry?
“The bathroom lines at conferences… and breaking stereotypes. Changing ignorance takes time but I am up for the challenge.”
Mandy Rogers, Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman
(Twitter: @the_mandy_marie)
- Do you think being a woman sets you apart in the industry (in a positive or negative way) or do you feel equal to your peers?
“Being a female in the field is a very positive thing. Women tend to think in a different realm than men, and bringing that to the table whether you are designing a product, implementing, or troubleshooting is key to being a better team. Yes, occasionally as a female you will run into people who will doubt you because you don’t match the stereotypical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics roles, but once you dazzle them with your awesome skills, usually that doubt fizzles away quickly.” - What has been your biggest challenge in your career so far that is related to being a woman in the industry?
“Building a strong network wasn’t necessarily a challenge for me, but I have found in general that this tends to be a struggle for individuals in the industry as a whole. Oftentimes I find people questioning “how” or “why” I’ve gotten to where I have in my career and usually my advice often boils down to three main topics: volunteering often , working hard, and maintaining a positive attitude. Sometimes that last topic is hard to maintain since oftentimes women have a hard time acknowledging their accomplishments and can fall into having “impostor syndrome.” As long as you maintain a positive attitude and continue to work hard, you need to realize that you do deserve to be great!Volunteering both inside of work (special projects, roles outside of your typical role) and outside of work with events such as STEM outreach, whether it be through helping out local high school robotics teams or at fairs, this will help set you apart and build a network of all generations that are passionate about the field you are in.” - Knowing the challenges that you’ve faced would you still have made the choice to go into this industry?
“Absolutely!I love the fact that with engineering and IT, you get to be part of a change in helping the world, whether it be through science or innovation, you have tangible results and products that can drive improvement in today’s world. Knowing that you’re part of something bigger than yourself is an inspiration to get out of bed in the morning and work long nights.” - What’s the most positive part of being a woman in the industry?
“One of the funny things I encounter when meeting new people is how they react to finding out I’m an engineer. I often receive the response that “You don’t look like an engineer!” or “A girl? In engineering? Wow.” While it’s not necessarily a positive, per se, to me, I think it is a challenge to women in the field as a whole to spin this stereotype and use it to our advantage. I hope to help break that stereotype, because female engineers are AWESOME! I spoke at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology this past year on Women in STEM, and inspiring younger generations to go the STEM route for the studies and career is one of the main reasons I love being in this industry.”
Are you going to encounter challenges as a woman in technology? Absolutely. Is that a reason to shy away from it? Absolutely not.
If you’re looking for a chuckle and some inspiration, check out this article on the internet’s response to the recent Computer Engineering Barbie debacle. The IT community, men and women alike, came together to show how women really belong in this industry and it was pretty awesome.