Women in Technology

By Laura French, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: March 8, 2003 - 10:00 PM

A 2001 survey of technology workers showed that the gap between men's and women's salaries had widened to 12%, up from 9% in 2000. For the same year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that across the economy, the gap was 24%.

The survey of technology workers showed that women with less than a year of experience averaged more than $45,000 a year in salary. The average salary for technology workers was $68,000, which was 60% higher than the national average.

One top Twin Cities IT executive sums it up this way: "Are we where we should be? Definitely not. Are we moving in the right direction? Absolutely."

Verbal Skills Count
Several studies of teenagers and their computers have shown that boys appreciate the "gadget value" of technology. Girls tend to show less interest than do the boys in how technology works. What girls are just as interested in is applied technology: Using applications that can help them communicate better and learn about their world.

That difference helps to explain why women are more likely to choose career paths like technical writing and quality assurance. Verbal skills and attention to detail are keys to success in those fields. As one corporate systems analyst said succinctly, "When I was majoring in English, I didn't expect to be able to afford a condo in Kenwood."

Finding Balance
Technology wizards like Steve Jobs of Apple Computer and Jerry Yang of Yahoo! were famous for working 20-hour days and keeping sleeping bags in their offices. But that was in the last millennium. Today, both men and women are expressing more interest in finding balance between work and life. Technology careers can provide that balance - for women who are assertive enough to insist on it.

With cell phones and Internet access to their corporate Internet sites, IT project managers are able to spend summer Fridays at the lake with their families or accompany their husbands on business trips.

"I maintain my kids' calendar of activities on my work calendar," one executive reports. "If one of them has a baseball game at 5:00, I do not accept or schedule any meetings after 4:00. Now, this may mean that I log back in at 8:00 p.m. to finish up tasks I need to do, but this is the type of flexibility that is absolutely necessary in today's working world. I think this is a great way to lead by example."

Seeking Mentors
According to an article in "CIO", the skills most needed by IT leaders include knowing how to network, seeking mentors, and asking for promotions. For women interested in beginning or moving ahead in technology careers, mentoring and resources are available. The Ada Project (TAP), named for Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, an accomplished mathematician whose article describing an "analytical engine" was published in 1843, provides information on conferences, scholarships, and news related to women in computing. Find it online at: http://tap.mills.edu/.

Laura French is principal of Words Into Action, Inc., and is a freelance writer from Roseville, MN.

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