With seemingly a decreasing number of women in the IT Field, besides a related degree, do you recommend a specific minor and/or specialized certifications/qualifications to ensure that I will stand out among other graduates entering the work force?

What you wrote about the small number of women working in IT is true, sad to say. It's a great trade. Programming, especially, is inherently well-suited to a flexible schedule because it's creative work; some people do that work well in bursts rather than rigidly scheduled hour-by-hour appointments.

I wish our trade was more accessible to women. In IT we generally have a bad reputation for macho "brogrammer" culture; I think that reputation (sometimes well-deserved) repels women. It's too bad. Some companies have the goal of creating civilized workplaces; you should seek them out.

How would you find out about this? Easy. Ask. If you have a job interview with a woman, ask directly. "What does it take for a woman to thrive here?" You can also ask a human-resources person about gender balance in the department you'll be joining. You have nothing to lose by asking these questions. Why? because if these questions offend the people you ask, the workplace is probably uncivilized anyhow, and you want to stay away.

All sorts of specialization opportunites present themselves. The field known as cybersecurity is becoming very important. With the so-called Internet of Things booming, including net-connected vehicles, phones, and building-control systems, this field is in its infancy, and the people who need it have "hair on fire" urgency. There are dozens of other opportunities.

If working as a "distinguished expert" appeals to you, you can specialize in a field of critical knowledge like that. In his book Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell used the word "maven" to describe this kind of person.

If working as a "great team member" appeals to you, look into developing the skills known this decade as "full stack developer." It's the tech equivalent of Gladwell's "connector" personality type. You'll have broad knowledge of tech and people who can make things happen, and you'll organize them.

It's not unheard of for small companies, like the one where I work, to take on recent high school grads as summer interns. No harm comes from asking.

One more piece of advice: "Illegitimi non carborundum." This site won't let me post that in English, but you can look it up.

And, don't miss "feminist hacker barbie" online! https://computer-engineer-barbie.herokuapp.com/view/115

Hi Laurel,

As a fellow woman in the IT field who loves creating and using software applications and databases, I'd say I've benefitted from learning about both data engineering and Agile development processes.  

Data engineering is an increasingly necessary skillset for software companies that need to analyze their data in order to make data-driven business decisions, and knowing something about this will make you an extra valuable employee. 

And as businesses modernize, they need new ways to organize their engineering teams to increase their ability to move quickly and to innovate. Many businesses are turning to the Agile model of engineering team organization and work-distribution, so knowing about those principles and practices early in your career will be beneficial. 

As other answers have mentioned, the skills and experience that you'd learn from participating in an internship program will be very valuable for your early career. 

And as a side note, I have seen the number of women in technical roles at the company I work at increase steadily over the last two years - it's getting better for us out here! I look forward to you joining us!

I'll take your word for the stated statistic, but I don't see that being the case where I work (and we have lots of employees and contractors).
One thing you can do is invest a few years in learning the basics, whether that is programming, software applications, databases, hardware, etc. But then work towards a higher level goal, such as Business Analysis, Project Management, Change Management or just leading IT teams. You'll find that those skills don't get outdated as quickly and they are much more rewarding.

All the best!

I am not sure how you arrived at the conclusion. When i look from my past of 20+ years of service to today, the # of women in the IT field or other fields have gone up globally. I have travelled across many countries and find that in most developing countries the # of women being hired is increasing.

Starting with a degree related to your field is good. I would surely recommend to have additional Certifications and/or specialized qualification for your chosen field. This is not mandatory but helps you to understand more about your chosen field and job. Certifications and courses dont necessarily help you get ahead of others but makes you better qualified to start. It is how you work, what you learn and how open you are to learning that makes you better experienced and more qualified

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Thinking ahead and planning for change is the best strategy, kudos to you! I am a mother of 4 and balancing work with my children has been difficult but manageable. Luckily, many businesses are starting to see the benefit in offering flexibility to workers that have a proven track record. Giving yourself to your career and maximizing your opportunities while you can will definitely help you move in the right direction. Keep in mind that technology jobs change from day to day so it's just as important to continue that path even when you have children and get married. There are sacrifices that we make as mothers and wives to balance home life with our careers but perseverance and dedication will help, along with a husband who helps around the house.
As for certifications and degrees, I recommend minors that will help in any position such as business and marketing. Project Management Professional (PMP) is also a hot certification right now that will help you stand out from others in your field. Having experience in other fields that compliment your major will help you be successful and stand apart from others. Good luck!

After 20 years in the IT industry I would say the number of women is actually increasing. Look for internships while in college that will give you an opportunity to explore different areas and give you some experience. Certifications are nice but experience is more important. IT Security and data related fields are hot and will continue to be for some time. Technical roles vs. mgmt. roles are better suited to WFH or flex work schedules if that's a priority for you. You have a good plan to establish yourself in the workplace first. Once you've proven yourself the schedule flexibility is much easier. Whatever area you go into in this field make sure you have a passion for it as you will need to be constantly learning.