Top five reasons I love being a woman in tech

From the tech field is interesting to few people expect a woman to hang with the big boys

These days, when we mention talk about the topic of women in tech we are usually talking about the inequalities and the struggles that we face and how to overcome them. It can be, at times, overwhelming and even depressing when we look at and discuss our fate. Sometimes it can even cause others to think “if being a women in tech is so bad, then why do you do it?”. So, I got the idea to sit down and record the reasons why I love being a women in tech in order to brighten my own perspective, and hopefully yours as well. So, here they are: 

1.  The technology field is interesting, challenging, and keeps me on my toes. It is a field that exploits my ability to multi-task as well as my ability and desire to continue to expand my knowledge base. In short there is always something new to learn.

2.  Few people, especially in the corporate world, expect a woman to be able to hang with the big boys. Thus, I always get a great deal of satisfaction from disproving their assumptions about my abilities.

3.  Technology is a field that is not lacking in jobs and job types. As a user experience consultant, I rarely have a hard time finding new work. And, I know that if I wanted to veer off in a completely new direction, away from the field of user experience, there are still many other interesting opportunities in the tech field to turn to. I’ll never be at a loss for work.

4.  Techies are a community and I am one of them. There are few people in the developed world who don’t wish they had more technical knowledge. I can’t tell you how many phone calls and emails I get from non-technology focused family and friends asking me to solve their computer (or lately Facebook) issues. Because they don’t know technology, they are out of the loop. But, by being someone who is in this field, I am part of this community I am in the know and well aware of what is happening on the internet and within the computer world. And, if I am ever at a loss for answers, I have a community of others to turn to for support.

5.  Last but not least, technology fits my personality. There is nothing else I could see myself doing and enjoying as much as tech. Of course, there are still challenges to overcome as a woman in tech, but in all honesty those challenges are much less, at times, than in some other industries (imagine being a professional woman athlete... now that’s gotta be tough). As long as I bring my best effort, I will be respected and will succeed in this field despite my gender. That makes tech really special, and it makes me realize it’s the place for me. 

That’s it. My top five reasons to love being a woman in tech. Hopefully they have inspired you to want to become a part of the tech field, increase your role in the tech community, or at least helped you come up with some more ideas and reasons of your own.  I would love to hear what you think. So if you have any comments or additional ideas, please leave them in the comments!