More Women Are Choosing Software Development Jobs

More and more women are choosing software development jobs- but how can the IT industry keep them there? As written by Jennifer S. on nhsocal.com

It's not much of a secret that the IT world is a bit of a boys club. This is even more true for software development and programming. A Bureau of Labor Statistics study in 2014 found that more than 80 percent of American software developers were male. That's not just a small majority; that's an enormous gender inequality problem.

More women breaking the glass ceiling

But despite this extreme imbalance, more women are choosing programming careers. Although the entire industry is about 80 percent male, 42 percent of software developers with less than one year's experience are now women.

This survey of 855 developers, recently conducted by the Application Developers Alliance and International Data Corporation, also reported that this percentage of women as new-hires corresponded with female enrollment in computer science programs and corporate computer training courses. That means this isn't just a fluke, but rather a trend of more women being comfortable with going into IT.

What are the hurdles and how should women overcome them?

Although this trend of more women going into software development is certainly good to see in terms of gender equality, there's still a long way to go. Women seem to be leaving the industry in droves, much more than their male counterparts. The Harvard Business Review reported on a Center for Talent Innovation study that found women working in science, engineering and technology are 45 percent more likely to leave the industry than the men in these particular fields.

So why are they quitting? The CTI study also states that 44 percent of women in SET fields feel that without female role models in executive positions, they must "behave like a man" to move up the corporate ladder. Along with problems in advancement, women in technical jobs also don't seem to be happy with their pay. About 30 percent of women leaving the industry are doing so because of work conditions such as low salary and no advancement.

That being said, there are greater numbers of options for women to earn more and get promoted to a position where they can become a role model within IT versus other fields, especially when they have IT certifications.

A joint survey conducted by Network World and SolarWinds in 2011 found that out of 700 IT professionals, 56 percent stated that a certification lead to a salary bump while 28.8 percent said it leads to a promotion. This survey showed that any woman who wants to earn more and advance higher in the world of IT should seriously consider a computer-based training certification. New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Southern California is a great place to find education ranging from basic computer training all the way to specific training like CompTIA certifications.

Source: http://www.nhsocal.com/ResourceCenter/Blog/tabid/2847/ArticleID/1815/ArtMID/18966/Preview.aspx