As a woman in the tech industry, I deal with inherent bias, rampant sexism, and guys named Dave on a daily basis. It can be a challenging workplace, but over the years I’ve learned that there are a few key qualities I possess that have helped me advance my career as a female software engineer, forge meaningful work relationships, and also save the troubled Jurassic Park.
There’s a misconception that women are emotional in crisis, but I’ve found that when faced with an emergency, like having to navigate a Unix system when there’s an urgent need to re-enable the security system of a revered dinosaur theme park, I stayed levelheaded. So next time there’s a velociraptor banging down your door, don’t be afraid to ask a female programmer for help.
Just like when I was stuck in that tree back in Isla Nublar, being a woman in programming can be lonely. There will probably be men who don’t respect you at first, but you can use the focus you developed while learning how to code to stay afloat. After all, there’s way less time for a male co-worker to interrupt you when you and the theme park visitors may get eaten alive by terrifying cloned dinosaurs.
Being an effective programmer requires terrific time management. I’ve found it best to prioritize what’s most pressing, for example not getting eaten alive by prehistoric creatures on vacation. Start checking things off one at a time, and if you have to, delegate to those below you (though hopefully not physically below you as in trapped under that T-Rex in a jeep). Being a woman in a man’s world, just like all of those dinosaurs who were genetically engineered to be females in a man’s world, we find a way!
Whether you’re dealing with the outdated era of bro culture or the Mesozoic Era, being a female programmer can have its advantages. It can be a good thing to be different and to stand out at work (unless of course you’re trying to blend in with that tree so you don’t get eaten alive by a mosasaurus).
To any woman looking for a new career path, I highly recommend you try coding, saving family theme parks from internal destruction, and the tech industry in general. Before you know it you’ll be crashing through the metaphorical glass ceiling while that 17,000-pound T-Rex smashes through an actual one.
