From jobs in Silicon Valley to nimble start-ups with huge returns for early investors, tech is the veritable golden goose of this century. The booming tech industry is the hottest new arena for women to be shut out of at the ground floor.
In the past, women have been limited to being shut out of countless other booming fields, such as the entertainment industry, finance, and politics. But with the Internet changing the media landscape and transforming the way that we live, tech is where women have the best shot at being left in the cold.
“It‘s such an exciting time to be trying to be in tech right now,” said newbie coder Jaimie Pears, who recently graduated from a coding boot camp after earning her bachelor’s degree in history. “It’s amazing how quickly you can get shut out of this budding industry if you just try, even a little bit,” she said.
Pears applied for 72 jobs in the past year, and only got fourteen interviews. “On the upside, I got 49 offers for dinner and invitations to two company keggers. which shows all the innovative ways tech is crushing my dreams.”
Greta Sturgiss worked as a coder for the Brooklyn star-up QuickSnake, until her employer found out she was developing her an app of her own. They eventually fired her before producing an identical app that went on to make millions. “It was so exciting to find out that my idea was going to be stolen by one of the fastest-growing companies in the city,” she adds.
“I’ve been turned down by jobs for being ‘too creative,’ lamented hotshot coder, DeVondra James. “I don’t have a creative bone in my body. All I want to do is sit at a computer all day long and code.”
“What’s really interesting is that tech is finding new and innovative ways to keep women at bay,” said Rachel Winyon, founder of GoodLuck Ladies, a nonprofit devoted to advancing women in tech. “Tech really is at the cutting edge in that respect.”
“It’s still the Wild West out there, a really exciting time to get cast aside for literally any reason. The sky is the limit.”
