21 Reasons Why Tech is a Great Field for Women

This is the life you want.

After getting over my fears and transitioning into tech last year, I now have trouble not telling every woman that she should do the same. Why do I think that tech is such a great field for women? Here are 21 reasons:

1. Believe it or not, it's creative! You get to make ideas come alive.
2. There are so many different roles that I believe you can always find a niche for you within the world of tech, whether it be front end web development, software engineering, big data, internet security, project management, tech support, technical writing, or something else. 
3. Every field in the world needs people to run its tech.  If the medical field interests you, do tech for them. If working on improving life third-world countries interests you, contribute there with your tech skills. If you love phone game apps, build them.
4. There is a huge need for techies worldwide, so there is a lot of opportunity. Many people believe that providing women a pathway into tech will help women and whole families make their way out of poverty.
5. Your work is not only a career, it's a cause. The number of women in tech has decreased since the 1980s! By going into tech, you have the chance to forge a path for girls' careers in the future and support your sisters now.
6. Most people looking for people to work in tech care less about official education, personality, and looks, and more about skills and the determination to figure something out. To make learning tech even better is the fact that a lot of what you need to learn can be easily accessed online.
7. Working in tech is your chance to prove the stereotypes of men being better-suited to tech wrong.
8. As Audrey Tan wrote, "The rise of the Internet and its impact on the global economy has already proven itself. It has defined our generation. But we are just at the starting gate. If we as women fail to be involved in the formation of an industry, we prevent ourselves from being the future leaders of that industry. It is better, easier and far more likely to grow with an industry than it is to break into it."
9. There is a growing, very supportive network of champions for women in tech.
10. Men aren't the only ones using technology, but they form the majority of people developing tech. There is a great need for more women's voices to cater to women's needs in tech products.
11. Because companies are aware of the low numbers of female engineers being employed, they are always on the lookout for women. This means that they are more flexible in their work terms and you feel empowered.
12. You just need a computer and the internet to work in tech, so where you work is very flexible.
13. If you're an introvert like I am and need some space to survive, no one will be surprised or put off when you put on headphones and pretend the world is not there.
14. Tech is always evolving. You aren't expected to know everything from the start, and a good deal of your work will be figuring out new things. You will never stop learning, so your work doesn't get old.
15. Pay is good, especially compared to women's pay in non-tech jobs.
16. The gender wage gap is smaller between men and women in computer science. 
17. There is virtually no dead end to tech; the world is your oyster.
18. Generally, dress codes are pretty lax in tech. (Yay! No nylons!) 
19. Techies receive lots of free swag, including t-shirts (that you can then wear to work).
20. A lot of companies, especially startups, love to make a fun, positive lifestyle for their employees, whether that means providing catered lunches and gym memberships,  having weekly happy hours, or keeping ping pong tables in the office.
21. The new generation of techie culture tends to be generous, open (ever heard of open-source software, open leadership, or open-plan offices?), and tolerant. LOVE.

Have I convinced you yet? The ways to get started are endless. Go for it!


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