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Could a Grace Hopper Get Hired In Today's Silicon Valley?

Posted by samzenpus on from the we're-all-full dept.

theodp writes "There has been lots of heated discussion on the topic of where-the-girls-aren't, both in the tech and larger business world. Dave Winer broached the subject of 'Why are there so few women programmers?', prompting a mix of flame, venom and insight. Over at Valleywag, Nitasha Tiku pegs 'Culture Fit' as an insidious excuse used to marginalize women in tech. Completing the trilogy is an HBR article, 'Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?', in which Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic concludes the problem is that manifestations of hubris, which occur much more frequently in men than women, are commonly mistaken for leadership potential. So, with a gender and age strike against her, would a Grace Hopper in her prime even land an interview in today's Silicon Valley?"

4 of 608 comments (clear)

  1. Female programmers by schneidafunk · · Score: 5, Informative

    I only had one girl in my computer science classes in college, but she was an exceptional programmer. Now in the work field, again I encounter very few female programmers but am always impressed with their skill levels and dedication.

    --
    Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:Female programmers by mopower70 · · Score: 5, Informative

      That's selection bias at work. It's extremely hard for a woman to land a job in this field, and even before that there's a lot of pressure against it (the stupid idea that women can't do maths, the extremely male-oriented lingo and focus, etc.), so only the most persevering, most enduring women make it through.

      No it's not. It's extremely hard for an employer to HIRE a woman in this field. There aren't any. I've hired for hundreds of technology positions from data center operations to development, and I've seen thousands of resumes. The women stick out mostly on account of their novelty. I have always hired on merit, but unless a woman was obviously unfit for the position (e.g., experience in a completely unrelated field or no experience at all) we always brought her in because it was such a refreshing change. This is not an advantage any man was ever given. And like the AC above, their skills fell pretty much along the same bell-curve as men: a few absolutely worthless ones, most of them about average, and a few standouts.

    2. Re:Female programmers by cusco · · Score: 4, Informative

      quotas always seem to cause more trouble than they are worth

      You weren't around during the 'separate but equal' decades of the US educational system, I take it. There were perfectly valid reasons why quotas really WERE necessary. Most places have done away with them now as it's no longer a shock to see a black child in a mostly-white school any more, but the only reason why that is the case today is because it was FORCED down the throats of unwilling school boards across the nation. Quotas have their place, it just depends on the situation.

      --
      "Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
  2. Re:Why so few women sanitation engineers? by mopower70 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Maybe because programming and tech jobs in general are viewed as high prestige and the cutting edge of technology

    Where do you work? I've been in technology for 20 years and programming and tech jobs have about as much prestige as a plumber or mechanic. I actually think that's one of the main reasons women DON'T pursue tech jobs in favor of doctoring and lawyering.