Great. And a whole new generation of people who think they can build/support computers will be born. What will they do when they find out the real stuff isn't all color coded?
I would guess though, that no one has ever assumed you were the receptionist or the Office Manager? Or actually being asked point blank if there was a technical contact onsite after your name had been provided? OR, this is my favorite, have you ever been asked if your name is your 'stage name?' Or have you ever had a man shout at you over the phone, insisting that he HAD TO SPEAK TO A MAN to fix his system? These things happen to us all the time and I can assure you, it's not just me.
It's refreshing to not feel alone in this. My own experiences (have been in the field since '97) have run the full spectrum of idiocy (male and female) from the ogling of my mammaries to the assumption that I'm the secretary to being asked if "one of the computer guys is around". One supply company representative is lucky he didn't crawl away with my boot up his butt after he felt the need to look twice at the sign outside of our door just to verify that I worked there. "Oh sorry, didn't see the Ms. next to your name." Ass.
I especially love it when people come to our office door and either bypass me completely and make a beeline for one of the guys or notice the pile of laptops/disks/hardware and tools on my desk and ask if I am one of the computer people. Ya' think?
Non-IT women can be the worst at times with questions such as "why don't you find a big strong man to carry that for you?" BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB.
What all of that boils down to is that I have to work harder and be way more assertive just to be taken seriously in the first place. However, it gets old quick when all I want is to be taken seriously based on my merits and the work I produce.
On certain days where I feel more beat up on than others I think about leaving the field. then I remember sexism isn't confined to our little IT bubble. Not that all men are sexist...just as all women aren't cut out for IT. I wonder if we'll evolve past these lazy generalizations.
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Great. And a whole new generation of people who think they can build/support computers will be born. What will they do when they find out the real stuff isn't all color coded?
It's refreshing to not feel alone in this. My own experiences (have been in the field since '97) have run the full spectrum of idiocy (male and female) from the ogling of my mammaries to the assumption that I'm the secretary to being asked if "one of the computer guys is around". One supply company representative is lucky he didn't crawl away with my boot up his butt after he felt the need to look twice at the sign outside of our door just to verify that I worked there. "Oh sorry, didn't see the Ms. next to your name." Ass.
I especially love it when people come to our office door and either bypass me completely and make a beeline for one of the guys or notice the pile of laptops/disks/hardware and tools on my desk and ask if I am one of the computer people. Ya' think?
Non-IT women can be the worst at times with questions such as "why don't you find a big strong man to carry that for you?" BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB.
What all of that boils down to is that I have to work harder and be way more assertive just to be taken seriously in the first place. However, it gets old quick when all I want is to be taken seriously based on my merits and the work I produce.
On certain days where I feel more beat up on than others I think about leaving the field. then I remember sexism isn't confined to our little IT bubble. Not that all men are sexist...just as all women aren't cut out for IT. I wonder if we'll evolve past these lazy generalizations.