Written by Lis Hubert.
These days when we mention talk about the topic
of women in tech we are usually talking about the inequalities and the
struggles that we face and how to overcome them. It can be, at times,
overwhelming and even depressing when we look at and discuss our fate.
Sometimes it can even cause others to think “if being a women in tech is so
bad, then why do you do it?”. So, I got the idea to sit down and record the
reasons why I love being a women in tech in order to brighten my own
perspective, and hopefully your’s as well. So, here they are: 
1. The technology field is interesting, challenging, and keeps me on my
toes. It is a field that exploits my ability to multi-task as well as my
ability and desire to continue to expand my knowledge base. In short there is
always something new to learn.
2. Few people, especially in the corporate world, expect a woman to be
able to hang with the big boys. Thus, I always get a great deal of satisfaction
from disproving their assumptions about my abilities.
3. Technology is a field that is not lacking in jobs and job types. As
a user experience consultant, I rarely have a hard time finding new work. And,
I know that if I wanted to veer off in a completely new direction, away from
the field of user experience, there are still many other interesting
opportunities in the tech field to turn to. I’ll never be at a loss for work.
4. Techies are a community and I am one of them. There are few people
in the developed world who don’t wish they had more technical knowledge. I
can’t tell you how many phone calls and emails I get from non-technology
focused family and friends asking me to solve their computer (or lately
Facebook) issues. Because they don’t know technology, they are out of the loop.
But, by being someone who is in this field, I am part of this community I am in
the know and well aware of what is happening on the internet and within the
computer world. And, if I am ever at a loss for answers, I have a community of
others to turn to for support.
5. Last but not least, technology fits my personality. There is nothing
else I could see myself doing and enjoying as much as tech. Of course, there
are still challenges to overcome as a woman in tech, but in all honesty those
challenges are much less, at times, than in some other industries (imagine
being a professional woman athlete... now that’s gotta be tough). As long as I
bring my best effort, I will be respected and will succeed in this field
despite my gender. That makes tech really special, and it makes me realize it’s
the place for me.
That’s it, my top five reasons to love being a
woman in tech. Hopefully they have inspired you to want to become a part of the
tech field, increase your role in the tech community, or at least helped you
come up with some more ideas and reasons of your own. I would love to hear what you think, so if
you have any comments or additional ideas, please leave them in the comments!
Lis Hubert is an independent
user experience design consultant working New York City. Visit her website at
www.elisabethhubert.com and
you can follow Lis on Twitter @likehow22
