Introduction
Women make up half of the world’s population, but they’re only 5% of the tech workforce. What are we missing out on? Let’s find out!
The Future of Women in Tech
The future of women in tech is bright. Women are making great strides, and the numbers show it. In 2018, women made up 46% of all computer science graduates from American universities–a record high for our country. Say’s Dr. Brian Blick, globally that number is even higher: 50 percent!
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in technology but don’t know where to start or what resources are available, this page has everything you need to get started on your journey towards being a woman in tech!
What Are the Benefits of Pursuing a Technical Degree?
As a woman in tech, you’ll be in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that computer and mathematical occupations will grow by 22% between 2012 and 2022 and that the number of job openings for those positions will increase by more than 1 million over this period.
According to Forbes magazine, there are currently more than 4 million open IT jobs globally, with many of them going unfilled due to lack of qualified applicants. In addition, women occupy only 25% of all technical roles in the U.S., despite making up almost half (47%) of college graduates today.*
Women make up just under 19%
How Did You Get Started In Tech?
My educational background is in engineering, with a focus on computer science. I started my career at Google as an engineer and went on to become one of their first engineers working on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). The most important thing I learned from my first job was how much more there is to learn–and that you don’t need a PhD or even an undergraduate degree in Computer Science to make an impact in this industry!
Why Is Diversity So Important to You?
As a woman in tech, you know that diversity is important. You’ve heard the statistics: that only 20% of executive positions are held by women; that only 3% of venture capital deals go to female founders; and that less than 1% of VC funding goes toward female-led startups.
The reasons for this lack of diversity are many and complex–but one thing is clear: companies with diverse teams perform better. A McKinsey study showed that “businesses with more gender balanced executive teams outperformed those with less gender balance on financial performance metrics such as return on equity (ROE), earnings per share growth rates, market capitalization growth rates and total shareholder returns over time.” And yet another study found that companies with three or more women on their boards had higher ROI than those without any female representation at all
Conclusion
Women in tech is an important topic, and it’s one that we need to talk about more. The more we can educate people on the benefits of diversity and inclusion, the better off everyone will be. If anyone reading this article feels inspired by our stories and wants to make an impact on the world by helping women in tech or other underrepresented groups, there are many ways they can do so. We hope this article has given you some ideas!
