Why the boys club in STEM careers?

Seriously!  When I first got in to software development there were more women in the field.  Over the years, the numbers have dwindled.  I frequently speak in front of college and high school students that have expressed an interest in pursuing careers in the STEM fields – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  In most instances, the numbers are deeply lopsided.  Out of 20-25 students, only 1 or 2 will be women.  And that’s if there are any women in the classroom at all.  More significantly, when going through the interview process, the pools of candidates are male.  That has to change!

Look, driving to the best solutions usually means accepting input from a variety of people who have different views on how to achieve the goal.  Women bring a different perspective to the table and we should all be willing to give them a seat and listen to their viewpoint!

It needs to start early in their educational careers.  We must find ways to encourage and mentor young women so that they see a viable alternative in pursuing technical careers.  Listen, these are great paying jobs.  If you look at the projections through 2020, the US is going to need more and more technical professionals of all types.  (Here’s my shameless plug to any young women that stumble across this posting – think software development!)

Most young people that I meet today are concerned about finding work that will give them the ability to be self-sufficient.  They want to be able to work in a place where they can feel comfortable, where they feel that they can contribute, where they get paid a decent wage that allows them to pay their monthly bills and have fun with their friends.  Depending on where you’re located in the US – entry level jobs are starting around $60,000.  If you work in larger metropolitan areas the starting wages are likely to be at that number or higher.  More rural locations will depress that wage.

That’s not chump change!  Trust me.  My first professional programming job didn’t come anywhere close to that.  Yes, I’m showing my age. 

How many of you reading this post actively encourage the young women in your life to pursue a career in the STEM fields?  If you’re not encouraging them to look at these career opportunities, you should be.

Give me some feedback – how can we encourage more young women to think positively about the opportunities available within the STEM fields?

View my LinkedIn profile and request to connect: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-collison/1/640/503/