For the most part, stagnation within a career is totally normal. Even if you know for a fact you chose the right career, there’s always a chance for it to stagnate, and eventually, for everyone, it will happen, even if it’s just once in their professional life
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Women filling computer programming positions for IT jobs are underrepresented in the occupation, as seen in employment statistics. While myths are stereotyping women in the tech world, they are making their voices heard and creating real solutions to address the gender gap.
A fact is that men do dominate the computer programming profession, but it is unrealistic to think that women have no interest in becoming professional computer programmers. We’ll discuss five common myths leading to misconceptions about women’s progression in the information technology industry.
1. Women Lack Competency in Academics
The first myth about women’s underrepresentation in the computer programming profession is their inability to perform in academics. It is sad to say that the misconception is inaccurate and far from the truth. An Hour of Code Research Study of Gender Differences in Computing released in the Information Systems Education Journal provides insight and transparency.
A survey showed that female students in high school and college outperformed male students in 2005. The study addressed the shortage and recruitment of females to fill computer programming positions. In 2017, another study showed that women with fewer skills experience outperformed men with higher skills experience.
Participating students including males and females completed a tutorial and had an hour of code questions in a computer programming course. Women outperformed or equally performed as the male students.
After the course, most men tended to enroll in college computer programming studies. A possible reason is men receive exposure to programming early in grade school. Although girls have the same exposure, many of them lose interest because of their sense of belonging in the computing field and self-worth.
2. Women Aren’t Fit for Professional Roles in Computer Programming
It is a myth believing women are not fit for professional roles in the computing field. A 2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics report estimates that during the year, 417,000 persons were working in the professional occupation of computer programming. It is startling the gender gap between men and women.
Women represented only 21.1 percent of IT jobs in the computing workforce, approximately 87,987. Comparing the percentage of women to the total employed, raises questions about why and how to get girls and women interested more in computer programming, a field in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) technology.
As women are gaining more interest in the field of technology, some of them are choosing computer engineering and computer science. From 2018 to 2019, there was an increase in women’s board of directors, from 14.8 percent to 17.9 percent. It is evident that women lack leadership in the technology profession, requiring solutions to connect the gender gap.
Research suggests the gender gap in computer programming will decrease with making the necessary efforts to bring awareness. Programs such as Girls Who Code, Women in IT (WIT), and others are a few initiatives believed to provide encouragement and inspiration.
3. Women are Silence in Discussions of Computer Programming Technology
Females holding executive positions in the information technology industry are voicing their observation of women in the workplace dominated by men. DocuSign’s CTO/COO, Kirsten Wolberg provided an explanation to TechRepublic of why women don’t take part in technical discussions.
She says it is a misconception because women are eager to speak up and provide their input, but they feel they’re overlooked for engagement. They find it difficult to speak during meetings dominated by a majority of men. If a woman boldly speaks in confidence, men often perceive her as too difficult and ruthless.
Women tend to remain quiet because of the stereotyping in the workplace and male dominance. They look for opportunities to engage in technical discussion but are often ignored in discussions. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, it will have an effect on female computer programmers.
Two significant factors that contribute are non-inclusiveness and a discriminative work environment. When Wolberg examined the stereotyping of women not speaking up, she stated earnestly that they are confident.
4. Men are More Productive as Computer Programmers
Men are not more productive in computer programming; it is a myth and misunderstanding. Women are equally and sometimes more productive compared to their male counterparts. Computer programming allows women to develop flexible schedules to create work balance.
After investigating the stereotyping of men having a higher production rate, Kirsten Wolberg noted there were comments regarding childcare. Women were perceived as less productive because they didn’t work late and needed to care for their children. In her experience, she’s seen one woman have 15 percent higher speed compared to an all-male team.
5. Tech Companies Hire Women to Meet Quotas
Technology companies aren’t hiring women for IT jobs to meet quotas. It is a myth and most females working in the computer programming profession know how hard it is to impress a tech company. In fact, they hold certificates in computer programming, engineering, and science.
It is not about meeting quotas in the technology industry but having the knowledge and experience. Professional female computer programmers and other technology professionals know based on real-life experiences about the observation and myths about women.
6. Civil Engineering Consultants Are Men
A civil engineering consultant is a professional who helps ensure that civil engineering projects are completed successfully. They provide advice, assistance, and recommendations to the project managers. They also help with the design, construction, and management of public works projects.
The profession is a very demanding one that requires a lot of time and effort in order to be successful. There are many different types of civil engineering consultants. Some specialize in one type of work while others can do more than one type of civil engineering work.
There are some people that can't make heads or tails of money, numbers, or anything in between. And then, there are the others. Numbers just make sense. They are logical, and there is an explanation to support all theories. They just get it. If you’re one of those people, then a career in math, science, or engineering can be for you.
Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash
Here are some of the skills you likely have:
A deep understanding of quantitive, abstract, and spatial relationships
Ability to analyze, critique, and challenge your own work, and the work of others
Identifying structures and patterns via observation of relationships
Taking calculated risks
Details and precision
Patience—because sometimes not everything is visible and solutions take time and a lot of data
So if you are down with digits and a lover of numbers, there are a few career options for you.
A mathematical modeler designs models to solve complex problems that are associated with objects and devices. A definition you will often see is "a representation in mathematical terms of the behavior of real devices and objects." Vahid Dabbaghian: What is Mathematical Modeling, pg. 3. In order to do the job, you are going to have to earn a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, or something similar. There are some options where you will need a master's degree and simply some experience instead.
There is an increased demand for people who can work wonders with data. A skilled data scientist will bring structure and make sense of these numbers. In general, you will find that most data science roles will require that you have a degree in computer science, mathematics, or in a specialist area like data science masters degrees. If you want to gain a competitive advantage, you can eventually opt for Ph.D.; top earners are reported to earn over $200,000 per year.
Data structures and algorithms are the bread and butter to the development of every computer application. These types of engineers are employed throughout every sector. As an algorithm engineer, you would need a bachelor's degree in engineering, statistics, mathematics, or a related field. As well as a degree, it will pay for you to be well versed in multiple programming languages, and highly proficient in at least one.
Android and iOS engineers will develop new applications for mobile devices using several techniques. Software engineers code and create something that users can enjoy and is beneficial to businesses that they are associated with. Often a software engineer will have a degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related field.
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