Women in Tech, DevMountain-Style
“I decided I needed a change, and having had some exposure to programming in the past, I realized how much I enjoyed myself when I was able to code things and make things come to life on the web.”
By Tyler Richards
This is a guest column. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not imply endorsement by Beehive Startups.
Modern computer science is on the rise. With various breakthroughs in technology in the last decade and the changes in how we browse the web and process data; from smartphones and tablets, to smart watches and fitness trackers, it’s an industry with a bright future.
However, it is also an industry largely dominated by men.
This wasn’t always the case. In fact, the first computer programmer was a woman: back in the 19th century, Ada Lovelace was an analyst of Charles Babbage’s analytical engine and thus considered the “first computer programmer.”
Throughout the early 20th century, women were actually in the lead when it came to studying computer science. Women played a crucial role in various programming tasks throughout WWII.
A major shift happened in the 1980’s with the appearance of the first computers made for home use whose advertisements were largely targeted towards men. The more households got their hands on a computer, the less women expressed interest in studying computer science.
According to this article on National Public Radio’s website, it didn’t help that some of the famous movies from that era almost always depicted boys as “geeks” who, thanks to their smarts and computers, in the end saved the day and got the girl.
Inadvertently, we created the stereotype that somehow being a computer whiz is reserved for men. Women became marginalized in the industry they once led and were often met with prejudice and a dose of skepticism.
More often than not, women were pushed into roles that don’t necessarily deal with code, but rather design.
It shouldn’t be like that.
Thankfully, things are changing once again. With the recent rise in popularity, coding bootcamps worldwide have enabled women to once again start filling the ranks of programmers and coding experts.
Generally, bootcamps last anywhere between 4 and 28 weeks, with most courses being in the 9–12 weeks range. Tuition is also significantly less than the standard education, averaging at around $11,000, according to the 2015 Coding Bootcamp Survey.
And more and more women are taking advantage of such boot camps; joining the ranks of future web developers, iOS programmers, and UX designers.
They are proving that the long imposed stereotype of women in computer science is wrong and that women are equally capable to create successful careers in programming as men are.
They aren’t intimidated by the difficulty of the curriculum, the intense workload, and they certainly don’t allow themselves to be intimidated by the fact that men are still prevalent in the industry. Instead, they are paving the way for other women who are considering the possibility of a computer science career but are still on the fence.
A recent DevMountain graduate, Whitney Woolstenhulme, says that prior to programming she was doing something that didn’t cater to her strengths and she often felt like she wasn’t challenged in her work.
“After about 4 years in that career, I decided I needed a change, and having had some exposure to programming in the past, I realized how much I enjoyed myself when I was able to code things and make things come to life on the web.”
She goes on to admitting that she had doubts at the beginning, but the open environment and daily structure of the curriculum really helped her to have an amazing experience, both in learning and socializing with her fellow classmates.
In her own words, Whitney says, “I’m not so much intimidated by a male-dominated industry as I am worried that there may be some subconscious biases toward hiring male engineers over female engineers. But, I absolutely believe that we [females] have the mental capacity to perform as well or even better than males in this industry.
I don’t believe that the gender imbalance in this field is a “feminist” issue, so I just want to encourage all the women out there to believe in yourself and your abilities. If you know you’re smart, OWN it. If you know you can do something, PROVE it and take the initiative to solve complex problems during projects. Because if a bias really exists, that’s the first way in which you’ll gain everyone’s true respect.”
Current students Alicia Chen, and Katie Cowles feel very similar to Whitney.
Alicia says she chose programming because it’s a rapid growing industry:
“I would always be in-demand in an industry that is growing rapidly, it gives me flexibility in my life/career choices, programming allows me to be creative, and it gives me the skills to start my own business.”
While Katie states that she “was looking for a career that offered the ability to build and create, the opportunity to be entrepreneurial, and the flexibility to travel.”
Both of them are currently enrolled in Full-Time/Immersive Web Development course and both of them agree that men in programming are nothing to be intimidated by, in fact quite the opposite — it should serve as an inspiration and an additional push to pursue this career.
Barbara Liau, a DevMountain mentor, says you should always research your options and if you decide to pursue it, to commit fully to your choice.
“My advice would be to first take the time to find out if programming is right for you (there are tons of free online resources to learn programming and try it out); programming isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK. If, however, you decide you enjoy it, then commit. DevMountain is a great immersive option and you’ll be mentally pushed and challenged in ways that will leave you exhausted yet exhilarated. Go all in. Push hard. No one can stop you but yourself.”
They hope that more women will take the plunge and join the coding boot camp programs, because the IT field is ripe with opportunities for women. Women shouldn’t be afraid to dig deep and get their hands dirty with code nor should they be intimidated by their male peers in the industry.
They should realize that their destiny is in their own hands and accept that they are just as capable as men and cast the stereotypes aside.
With more and more women like these, the future of computer science looks bright indeed.
This post was originally published on DevMountain’s blog. To read more about women in tech, read our three-part series highlighting the problem, what needs to change, and what is already happening.
Published 7/15/2015
