I’ve worked in IT since 2001. I worked in sales previously, which I juggled alongside being a full time mother. I fell into IT. During the turn of this century every job description seemed to require the use of IT skills, so I made a conscientious effort to get some. Before that I sold gas and electric, makeup, clothes and vitamins (to the health conscious) all door to door.
I must have attended roughly 50 interviews and applied for at least five times that much. I think my initial lack of success was more to do with not having a current driving licence, rather than my being a woman. I can’t say whether I noticed if being a woman was a help or a hindrance in gaining a job in IT. Interestingly though, one benefit of being a woman in IT is that colleagues seem more willing to discuss their IT problems with me, I don’t use a baffling array of technical lingo. A drawback to being a woman is that there are fewer opportunities to climb the career ladder, but isn't that a failing in every profession not just IT.
There were no computer lessons at my school and the only computers I remember were hidden away in the basement, converted by the resident geeks. (Strangely, that was a male only club!) However, we did have a strong science department which did have a 50/50 ratio of male to female teachers and perhaps an even larger ratio of female students. I was lucky to be part of a progressive school that encouraged feminism. (It wasn't a dirty word back then.) We had regular visits from prominent female sports, political and business personalities. So support was always at hand. Please feel free to quote me during the debate.
