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Original poster

Working in a prodominently male industry!!!

14 replies

marliesienna · 19/02/2013 20:37

Why is that because im female and the job im in is IT that nobody thinks i can do as well as a guy would???

OP posts:
Callthemidlife · 19/02/2013 20:40

Happens in every industry, regardless of gender proportions.

LackaDAISYcal · 19/02/2013 20:40

Try working as an Engineer on a building site! I've had builders ignore me completely, answer my direct questions to the junior male colleague I was with and ask where my boss is.

One of the reasons I am no longer an Engineer Sad

Original poster
marliesienna · 19/02/2013 20:43

wow i bet the building site was tough !! i work full time and bring up 2 kids not single handedly but i bet a man wouldnt/couldnt do it lol x

OP posts:
DameFanny · 19/02/2013 21:05

I know this it's going to sound mean but I think it does need to be said. If you want more respect on the work place, watch your spelling and grammar, lose the excess exclamation marks and text speech.

NoraLuca · 19/02/2013 21:14

I am one of half a dozen women in a company with a total of about 60 people. It is difficult to be taken seriously, I haven't found the solution yet though I am trying. I have quite low self confidence anyway and don't know if it's because I am female or if it's just me, IYSWM.

SJisontheway · 19/02/2013 21:19

Another engineer. I found the older I got, and the more confident I became, it just became less of an issue. You'll still come across the odd sexist tosser, but generally if you have an air of confidence about you, you will be taken seriously

slightlysoupstained · 19/02/2013 21:29

Have definitely encountered a few dinosaurs in IT (unfortunately some are pretty young - e.g. colleague who couldn't believe I'd built my own PC).

But in my experience some workplaces are definitely better than others: a smart boss won't tolerate arseholes. I tend to look out for things like how many women do they have already, any in senior roles (and how do people talk about them) & vote with my feet. I reckon employers who can't maintain a civilised working environment don't deserve my skills.

cornflower123 · 20/02/2013 08:01

Work on rising above it (faking it when necessary) and acting 100% professionally at all times. You get good and bad people in all industries, and as Soup said, a lot depends on your bosses support (or not). I'm currently in a mainly female environment BTW, which is no bed of roses either....

notcitrus · 20/02/2013 09:10

It seems to vary by industry - I've been in fields where I've been the only woman around at all, which led to chaps falling over to talk to me and then realising I talked sense and continuing to listen, some where the language might have been a bit patronizing but I was actually respected, and then working with more polished men who talk nicely and pretend to take you seriously, but slowly it becomes clear the real decisions are made when the men go drinking by themselves.

That last one is.really hard.to combat.

bluebell78 · 20/02/2013 09:30

but i bet a man wouldnt/couldnt do it lol

Hmm

Perhaps that attitude has more to do with it than your gender.

And to put it into perspective, I too am a female working in banking technology (software engineer/business analyst and systems lead for one particular in-house module). I have three members of staff under me, and one graduate mentee.

I have to say, having heard/read about other professions, I personally think IT is one of the least sexist male-dominated industries out there. I'm not saying I've never seen/experienced anything that made me Shock, but I am paid very well, I get on well with the (all male) members of my team, etc.

I do think it's about confidence, as already stated, and getting in the right mindset. but i bet a man wouldnt/couldnt do it lol isn't a good one.

GrendelsMum · 20/02/2013 20:24

I used to work in IT, at one point being 1 of 2 women in the (small) company, and didn't find any particular issues. I think I probably would have left if I had.

On the other hand, I worked ferociously hard to prove myself and am a very quick learner. Also, I was much younger then (my first job out of University) and perhaps wouldn't have noticed less obvious forms of gender discriminations.

I'm now in a career which is overwhelmingly female dominated, which I still feel rather odd about.

Andro · 21/02/2013 11:17

Attitude. Having the right attitude is key - as long as you have the knowledge to back it up. Once you have proved yourself, everything settles down (that was my experience anyway).

amillionyears · 21/02/2013 11:31

Have you got qualifications that are as good or better then theirs?
I suppose you could flaunt them if necessary or deperate enough?

HoleyGhost · 21/02/2013 12:29

Yes, it is a problem, perhaps especially in IT. Yes you may have to do more to prove yourself than a man would.

Though I agree that attitude is everything.

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