Top 5 Myths about Women in Computer Programming & Engineering

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.

Best Places to Work as a Travel Nurse

If you are interested in travel nurse jobs, you may be wondering where you should consider working. There is an entire world open to you when you take on the role of a travel nurse. However, there are some highly coveted areas because of the salary, location, demand, and overall beauty of the location. 

Maui, Hawaii

If you are looking for travel nurse jobs in a beautiful area, then Hawaii might be the place for you. It is a highly coveted area because of its beauty. Unfortunately, this makes these jobs highly competitive. You may not make a high pay when working in Maui, but the lower pay is balanced with the surrounding area. 

Denver, Colorado

Denver is an excellent area for travel nurse jobs because it blends city life with natural beauty like the Rocky Mountains. If you enjoy skiing and other winter sports, this may be an excellent area for your to work. Denver can offer these outdoor experiences throughout the entire year. Colorado is considered a compact nursing state which means that having a license in one area may translate to another. Additionally, Colorado does not have a complex law on licensing, which makes work portability much simpler. 

New York City, New York

If you love the city life and you love New York, then a travel nurse job in New York City may be ideal for you. It gives you the best of both worlds because you can spend a significant amount of time in New York without having to carry the full burden of the price. You can do that without having to move from your home location. You can spend time in restaurants, parks, and museums. You can receive one of the highest rates of pay in New York. In addition, New York is home to some of the most well-known medical centers, such as Mount Sinai Hospital and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. You may be able to work in one of these locations. 

Tucson, Arizona

If you enjoy the desert or have been wanting to visit the desert, then Tucson may be a great place for you to get a travel nursing job. Tucson offers a wide variety of opportunities for a travel nurse. It has a low cost of living as compared to most other travel nurse locations. In addition, Tucson is a beautiful location with a large amount of natural beauty. It has a robust food and music scene. Its demographic is a balance of college students and retirees. 

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is a famous destination for travel, casinos, and entertainment. It is also a renowned destination for being a travel nurse. This unique city offers so many things to visitors. Las Vegas has a low cost of living and so much to do while you are there. In addition, it has a large number of outdoor recreation options. While it is most famous for flashy casinos and dazzling nightlife, there are many low-key options available, too. 

How To Make Money on the Side: Freelance Writing

In today's economy, it has become necessary for many people to find ways to supplement their main income. Even if you work a 9-5 job, you may find times when some extra money would come in very handy. Freelance writing is one of the best ways to make money on the side if you enjoy and have a talent for writing. Keep reading to find out if this side work option will work for you. 

What Is Freelance Writing?

In the past freelance writing primarily referred to individuals who wrote for magazines or other periodicals but were not employed by those publications. Today, freelance writing can mean that, but more frequently it means writing online. Most businesses today use a website and social media outlets to promote their businesses. The main way these websites help promote the businesses is through the content that is written on the website. The business owners themselves do not want to take time away from their business to write this content, so they hire freelance writers to do this for them. 

Writing online content can be an exciting and profitable side business. 

What Type of Content Can You Write?

The types of content you can write are as vast as the internet itself. Literally, every website on the internet needs content, so you could write on any topic imaginable. Some content will be purely marketing content as you help people promote their products or their services. Some content is informational as website owners need you to add to their informational sites. Content can be educational, entertaining, or newsworthy. It just depends on who your client is and what they need. 

Where Can I Find Work?

Freelance writers can find work either independently, by creating working relationships with independent clients, or they can work with content platforms. Working with independent clients will usually require research on your part to find people looking for writers. It will then be up to you to make contact with these individuals, share your skills and writing samples and create a working contract with them. Creating your own website to feature your portfolio and writing abilities can help; for example, a freelancer may consider creating a website with an .online domain, so they can quickly and easily share the link with potential clients or add it to their LinkedIn profile and email signature. 

Content platforms are a fast way to get in contact with clients. A content platform will already have working relationships established with clients. The platform will bring on new writers and those writers will have access to the work. Each content platform will have its own process of how they hire writers. In most cases, you will need to take a grammar test, as well as provide samples of your writing. Each platform will have its own pay rate and system of how work is distributed to writers. 

What Qualifications Do I Need?

Individual clients will have different qualifications which you will need to review with them personally. Most content platforms, however, have relatively simple qualifications. In most cases you need to be a native English speaker, you need to reside in a country in which they are hiring, and you need to be able to pass their qualifying exams. In some cases, you will be asked to provide a resume to show previous writing experience. Most people, who can write on a college level (whether they graduated from college or not) will be able to pass the writing/grammar test. 

Freelance writing also requires that you have good time management skills as you will often be on a deadline. You need to be able to manage yourself as you will not have a boss standing over your shoulder. You also need to be able to research topics and turn them into written content relatively quickly because the faster you can produce content the more money you can make. 

You could need to get a few tools for it, though. Content management tools, a mobile SDK if you write with your phone, and more than a few others could help make your freelance writing easier.

How Much Money Can I Make?

The amount of money you will make can vary greatly. There are some content platforms that pay very little and some which pay very well. Most freelance writers will average between $20-$40 an hour after a few years of experience. There is a learning curve, however, and many freelance writers spend a while connecting with good clients and learning how to research and create content quickly. 

If you are looking for ways to make money on the side, and you have at least college-level writing skills, freelance writing could be a great fit for you. 

Are You Willing To Go The Distance For The Sake Of Your Career?

For some people, their career is the most important thing in the world. We all have different priorities in life, and for some people, this is the main one. There is nothing wrong with this. If it is, though, you need to ask yourself whether or not you are willing to go the distance for it, or not. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that could be asked of you in order to further your career that will require careful consideration. Keep reading if you would like to find out more.

More Education

The first thing that we’re going to look at is the fact that you could be asked to complete some more education. Depending on the level that you are qualified to right now, you might need some higher education if you want to reach the top of your field. It might be the case then that you need to head back to college, or at least attend sessions in order to become qualified to the extent that you need to be.

But, school isn’t for everyone. It’s here that you need to decide whether you are willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be in your career or whether it isn’t worth it. There is no right answer, but if you’re not willing to go back to school, you can never claim to go the distance for your career.

A New Location

Another thing that you should think about is moving to a new location. Sometimes, a company needs someone in a different location, and they think that you would be perfect for the position. You moving would mean that the company benefits and you have been trusted so much that they want you rather than someone else. But, moving to a new location can be scary, and it means that you have to leave your life that you have where you are behind. It’s not an easy thing to do, and this is especially true if you need to move abroad, which is sometimes the case. 

Make sure that you fulfill all of the requirements for entry to the new country first before you go any further. This might mean looking at ilr requirements or something else depending on the new location. If you won’t move for your career, that’s fine, but you could be turning down a huge opportunity and potentially damaging your career prospects in the process.

We hope that you have found this article helpful and now have a better idea as to whether or not you would be willing to go the distance for your career. Now that you have the answer, you can figure out a way to move forward, and we wish you the best of luck in doing so.

How to Have a Successful Healthcare Career

If you want a higher-paying and more demanding yet rewarding career, the healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors today. According to PolicyAdvice.net, the global industry was valued at approximately $8.45 trillion in 2018. However, the global healthcare sector could reach over $10 trillion by 2022. And what’s more, is that the U.S. accounts for spending twice what other countries do on healthcare. 

If you want to have a long-term successful career, the healthcare industry is a good place to start researching opportunities. It is one of the fastest-growing industries in both the U.S. and world and there are hundreds of different roles in diverse organizations to choose from – but entering the industry isn’t enough to guarantee a prosperous career. You will also need to do lots of little things to set solid educational and experiential foundations for career growth.

Do you want to succeed as a healthcare professional? If so, here are six tips to help you ensure you have a fruitful career.

Set Realistic, Measurable, and Achievable Career Goals

The first thing you need to do is spend some time defining your short-term and long-range career goals. Maybe you would like to help sick children, embark on a career as a medical doctor, or maybe you would prefer to work in a supporting role and administrative position. Think about your aspirations, your skills, your experience, and your interests within the healthcare sector, and then establish a clear path to success. Creating a calendar of milestones is a great way to start the process.

Improve Your Communication Skills to Improve Professional-Working Relationships

 When some people think about the skills needed to get a promotion, they think about being assertive, strategic, and confident – but it is also very important to ensure you have great communication skills, both written and oral. This allows you to communicate ideas successfully during meetings and discussions and in emails, which is essential for advancement. 

Admittedly right now, you may not be able to communicate in person due to COVID-19, but you can still practice your communication skills during Skype or Zoom meetings. Communicating through video calls or in-person requires the same skill set. Clear thinking skills, strong listening ability, non-verbal communication, and professional respect are the keys to effective communication.

Tell Senior Management or Office Administration About Your Short-term and Long-Range Goals

Most hospitals and medical centers actively encourage their employees to start a career with them, so if you tell management about your short-term and long-range goals, they may provide additional training or financial support to pursue continuing education or enroll in a degree program relevant to your job. For instance, if you work in an administrative position but would like to move into an IT role, your employer may pay for you to study IT at the university-level. This will make it much easier for you to move up the healthcare career ladder, and it also means management is more likely to consider you for extra work or a promotion. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Take Initiative and Show Off Your Leadership Skills 

Stand out among other employees by making a conscious effort to be the most passionate and motivated employee on your team. You can do this in lots of different ways; you could apply for leadership positions or senior management opportunities—if you have the experience and education. You could also offer to mentor new employees, train junior team members, or you could volunteer at the hospital you work outside of your regular work schedule. These small steps will show management that you are a dedicated, passionate, hard worker, so they are more likely to provide you with opportunities in the future. Don’t be afraid to showcase your management skills.

Refine Your Skills and Expertise to Become More Qualified for Higher Paying Positions within Your Organization

You may need more qualifications to move up the career ladder within your organization. For instance, if you want to work as an executive director, hospital administrator, CEO/CFO, dentist, or a doctor, you may need to get a healthcare qualification or degree from an organization such as https://onlinemha.bc.edu/. This will mean that you have to step away from your current healthcare role for a few years so that you can study and complete the degree, but once you are qualified to fulfill the role, you will be able to apply for lots of better paid, higher-level positions or simply move the ranks in your existing organization.

Expand Your Network to Maximize Career Opportunities

Finally, it can be beneficial to network with diverse people in the healthcare industry in your local area as well as throughout the country. You don’t have to forge bonds with every single co-worker or colleague you meet; instead, focus your energy on creating genuine business relationships with people you admire and respect. You can do this by attending healthcare events (such as conferences, conventions, or talks), or you could network on LinkedIn, or in virtual industry events using forums and industry websites. With the technology available today, there are countless ways to build your network.

More Than Volunteering: Career Ideas For Those Who Care

Caring people love helping others without expecting anything in return, which is often why they volunteer in their spare time to help local charities and the wider community. While volunteering is a fantastic thing to do and can help in so many different ways, if you’re someone who wants to be able to help more than volunteering a few hours a week, then perhaps it’s time for a career change. 

The fact is that you can make a difference in your career, alongside your volunteering, if you are selective about the kind of job that you opt to do. For caring people, who are usually selfless and like to help others as much as they possibly can, a job that allows them to care more is a great step, because it means that even when they’re not able to volunteer, they’re still able to help others. 

The good news is that when it comes to finding a career that focuses on helping others, there are plenty of options to choose from. It’s just a case of finding the option that’s the best fit for your skills and experience, as well as your caring needs. 

Wondering what your options are? Check out the ideas below for some new ideas! 

Move into education 

A career in education allows you to impact individual people—as well as the wider community—in a very direct way. You have the opportunity to nurture your students and watch them grow and develop as a result of your help, assistance, and care. However, getting into teaching does require a number of degrees, certifications, and specialist training programs, so it may be a career move that takes a while to achieve. Yet if it will make you happy then it’s a worthwhile step to take. 

Become a carer or enter the nursing industry

Another option, if you’re someone who cares a lot, could be to consider moving into a career in professional caring. Believe it or not, most caring roles allow you to train on the job while undertaking a small number of outside courses, meaning that moving into a career in care is actually far easier than you would think. There are also some fantastic resources to getting to grips with what career opportunities are available for you in the care sector, such as websites like careasone.com, for instance. 

If you are interested in entering the medical field but do not want to spend a better part of a decade in school, exploring the nursing path. You can become an entry-level Licensed Practical Nurse in fewer than 12 months after high school. If you want to go a step further, you can become a Registered Nurse (RN) in fewer than three years with an associate’s degree from an accredited college.

Work for a charity 

Another option, if you want to make a difference, is to sign up to work for a charity. Charities don’t only need volunteers, but they also require a number of full-time staff to help manage various aspects of their day to day running, from their marketing to their accounting, and everything in between. So it’s always worth keeping an eye on charities job sections. Look for national charities and international charities to work with, as often smaller, local charities cannot afford paid staff. 

There you have it, a few ideas for ways in which you can make your career more caring and do more to help others while you work.

Playing To Your Strengths: How To Find The Right Job For You

One of the most interesting things about human beings is that we are all different. When it comes to career advice, it can be difficult to find golden nuggets that resonate with you or to stumble across articles that make you feel like the writer is talking directly to you. Honestly, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for finding the perfect job, and that is why it’s so beneficial to personalize your search. Here are some tips to help you find a role that is right for you. 

Figuring out what you want

The most important thing to think about when you’re looking for a new job or a career path is what you want to do. The average adult spends around 37 hours per week at work. This is a huge commitment, so it’s crucial to try and find a position that will make you happy and bring a level of contentment and satisfaction. Focus on your objectives and try not to be influenced by societal trends or demands or what other people think.

It’s common to hear people talking about going into fields and sectors because that’s what their parents did or wanted them to do. If you feel under pressure to make decisions that you don’t want to make, communication is key. You might feel like you’re doing the right thing by making other people happy, but your wellbeing should also come into play. You don’t want to end up with a job that makes you miserable to placate others. 

Understanding and recognizing your personality traits

We all have unique personalities, but often, the way we think and behave can be categorized or grouped according to dominant trends or traits. If you were to take the Enneagram test, you might find that you’re an analyst or a caregiver, for example. Finding out what kind of personality and character traits you have can be extremely useful in determining suitable career paths.

If you think about others often, you like to protect and look after people and you’re sociable and hard-working, a career in nursing or teaching may appeal. If you prefer your own space, you like to look at facts and you’re a thinker, you might err towards a career in research or engineering, for example. Ideally, you want to find a job that enables you to play to your strengths at the same time as minimizing the impact of or allowing you to address potential weaknesses. 

Research Potential Employers

The more you know about a potential employer, the better you’ll figure out whether you actually want to work for them. It gives you a better idea of what it’ll actually be like to work there. You could have a better picture of what your working environment will be like.

It’s worth looking them up before you apply to any of their open positions. The likes of Primerica reviews and employee reviews about similar companies can help with this. With how much it could help you find the right career and job for you, there’s no reason not to.

Implementing a plan

Once you have ideas about the kind of job you want, you can turn your attention to finding suitable roles and giving yourself the best chance of receiving employment offers. This includes trying to capture the attention of executive recruiters online, too, because you really want to show off what strengths you have and how you are strongly different from the competition. Start with practical concerns, for example, experience and qualifications.

If you haven't got the relevant skills or training, look for opportunities to undertake study and complete courses and apply to companies and organizations to get some experience. There are so many opportunities to gain new skills through online learning opportunities. A good way to find out what skills and qualifications you need is to look at job adverts and pick out any recurring requirements that keep appearing. If job ads are asking for a togaf certification, specific software experience, or similar, then this is a good starting point to start acquiring the skills you need for your dream career.

Update your resume, start searching for vacancies, and tailor applications to specific roles. It’s useful to set career goals, but don’t get too carried away with dates and milestones. It might take a while to get to the end, but as long as you’re moving in the right direction, that shouldn’t matter. 

We spend a huge amount of time at work, so it’s important to think carefully about finding the right job. Whether you’re changing careers, or you’re on the hunt for your first job, hopefully, this guide will point you in the right direction.

More than Salary: The Best Job Picks for Flexibility, Creativity, and Advancement

If you are looking to advance or completely change your career, there may be a myriad of reasons why you’re looking for something else, or there may be one that is more obvious than others: salary. The reason most of us go to our jobs most days out of the week is not merely because we enjoy going, although having a career you like is huge in making sure you are not just living for the weekend. 

Is salary the main thing you should be looking at when looking to change careers or are other aspects of a new job just as important? Perhaps you’re looking for a more flexible role where you can set your own schedule. A great example is Primerica where there are various roles available. Take a look at Primerica reviews.

Aspects of careers that you may want to consider before jumping ship at your current position include health and retirement benefits, bonuses and commissions, paid time off, flexibility, creative aspects, and last but not least, room for advancement in a position.

Some careers that pay well may not offer all of these benefits, so weighing these things depends on your individual lifestyle, what you value most, and how you think each of these will most greatly impact or change your current lifestyle. So, which career path might be a great option for you? 

We’ve compiled several jobs that fall into three categories of flexibility, creativity, and room for growth; each of these positions does not sacrifice salary, either. 

Careers with higher than average flexibility

• Statistician. This career is in high demand, offers some other aspects such as creativity, but its best benefit is the flexibility in scheduling. 

• Accountant. This career path has a lot of flexibility without sacrificing wages. Working remotely or creating your own schedule is a huge benefit. You can check out an average accounting career salary here.  

Jobs that offer creative aspects

• User Interface Designers. If you enjoy working with computers but want to seek something that requires creativity, a UI designer can be a fantastic career that also pays well. 

• Technical writers. While “technical” might be in the name, a technical writer requires you to be creative in multiple ways; the writing itself needs to convey an idea to various audiences, and it is up to the technical writer to make creative problem-solving decisions on how to approach a project. Creativity comes in many ways, with trouble-shooting requiring creative thinking. For a list of other positions great for problem solvers, check out Business Insiders list. 

• Entrepreneurs. When you go to business for yourself, you will work harder than you have ever worked before, but you will also be able to be incredibly creative as you form your business. 

Easiest careers to advance

• Tax manager. This position was recently quoted by CBS as having the best career advancement opportunity. 

• Communications manager. If accounting and finances are not your ideal cup of tea, consider something that has you interacting with people throughout the day to compile media reports, marketing materials, and press reports. 

When you are looking to advance your career, or completely change it, make a list of the things that you find are most important to you so that you can make a sound decision that is based on more than just the direct income. When you are deciding between two positions that are relatively similar, make sure to balance health benefits, paid leave, and retirement options. Don’t forget that you’re going to be spending around 40 hours at this job a week, so find a career that allows you to enjoy what you do.