The Adventures of Women in Tech by Alana Karen Book Summary

The Adventures of Women in Tech, How We Got Here and Why We Stay by Alana Karen

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Hear the voices of women recount their stories of triumph, and, alas, frustration, as they navigate their technology careers. Alana Karen, a director of search platforms at Google, recounts how women succeed in tech careers and why they stay despite the myriad challenges the industry presents, including an inhospitable work culture, persistent pay inequity, and the daily demands of balancing work and home responsibilities. Karen surmises that resolving these issues will require the collective effort of tech companies and women in senior roles to foster inclusivity and improve overall diversity.

Take-Aways

• Careers in technology offer women opportunities to immerse themselves in innovative and fast-paced work cultures.
• Alas, women are often hesitant to promote themselves and their successes at work.
• Women in tech feel the onus is on them to pave the way for future generations.
• To initiate change, women must help others to improve diversity and ensure respect in the workplace.
• The concept of “having it all” remains beyond reach for many.
• Women in tech frequently encounter the need to prove themselves in a male-dominated work culture.
• To ensure a balance between work and home life, women in tech must set boundaries.

The Adventures of Women in Tech Book Summary

Careers in technology offer women opportunities to immerse themselves in innovative and fast-paced work cultures.

Despite headlines to the contrary, the technology industry is a diverse workplace; male and female employees hail from a variety of cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and work and educational experiences.

Some women employed in the IT sector opted for technology careers from an early age, while others explore other avenues before landing there. Consider, for example, the paths these women followed toward their careers in tech: Wendy Zenone transitioned from public relations to information security and software engineering. Bethanie Baynes worked in photography and early on saw the opportunities that technology offered artists. Marily Nika knew from age 10 she wanted a career in IT. Ashley Sun aimed for medicine in college before switching to computer science. Annie Lange earned a PhD in poetry, and now works as an engineering manager. Kris Politopoulos moved from accounting to engineering operations.

“We need so much diversity in tech to build great products and services for the world.”

A rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives creates an innovative and productive work environment and produces favorable economic results. In fact, research shows that companies with more racial and gender diversity outperform their competitors, and teams with higher numbers of women experiment more and generate more creative ideas.

Nevertheless, a lack of diversity remains problematic in technology companies – not only when it comes to hiring women and minorities but in terms of retaining them as well. If technology organizations don’t elevate their efforts toward inclusion, they risk losing the diversity they have already established.

The women who choose careers in technology, and stay despite its challenges and pitfalls, share common traits. These women revel in the fast pace and constant change that the industry brings. They embrace the opportunity to shape the present world, as well as the chance to expand the role of women in technology for future generations. They enjoy the “open, honest and intellectual” culture that permeates the sector. Moreover, they appreciate the flexibility and the financial security that tech offers.

Alas, women are often hesitant to promote themselves and their successes at work.

When women in tech describe themselves, they often struggle to define their responsibilities; some find it difficult to separate their work and home life, and others downplay their strengths and achievements.

A Yale University study identified the source of this hesitancy: Society expects women to be humble. People often judge women who speak confidently about their accomplishments to be braggers and, thus, find them less likable. Other studies confirm that, when rating their own abilities or speaking of their successes, women exhibit less confidence than men. Women instead describe themselves as curious, driven, hard-working and energetic – terms with definitively positive, yet humble, vibes. Moreover, women tend to ascribe their personal successes to team efforts instead of taking the plaudits. This aversion to self-promotion leads to fewer promotions and diminished earning potential.

“How can we be successful if at the root of everything we do, we don’t think or feel that we belong; if every time we have an idea, we wonder if it’s our place to speak up; if every time we disagree, we fear the downsides of sharing our thoughts? That adds up, and ultimately means we either don’t act like ourselves or our jobs jail us without leveraging all our talents.”

Women also bring what some see as more feminine personas to their jobs – empathy, caring, flexibility – as well as a focus on people and relationships. Such characteristics are essential in the tech world. One tech employee, for example, uses her ability to connect with others as an opportunity to inspire software engineers with necessary perspectives.

One study found that roughly 40% of women don’t set specific career goals for themselves. Another study found that women prefer to set more generic life goals instead – for example, to become more organized, or to find a romantic partner. Few cite power as their objective. Women’s goals tend to change over time, too – sometimes as a result of having children, and other times due to work pressures, hostile corporate cultures or a need to perform to higher standards than men. One tech employee, Adrienne, found that in her 20s, she aimed to be a leader, but as she matured, she refocused her sights on personal growth and learning. Other women feel compelled to stay passionate and challenged by their work; to use their influence to impact their work, home and community lives; or to find happiness and a balance between work and home. And some women lack a career blueprint, preferring to work out what they want – and what they don’t want – as they go along.

Women in tech feel the onus is on them to pave the way for future generations.

Some sectors in technology – such as human resources, customer service or marketing – boast a greater share of women than others. But in more technical disciplines, women present in smaller numbers, which some feel puts pressure on them to work for better representation in the future.

“Part of building relationships is to help people know you better, so you aren’t deemed a ladder climber if you’re ambitious.”

Assumptions persist, even in technology companies, that men innately outperform women in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Some wonder, too, if certain behavioral norms for men, such as being direct in meetings, receive more scrutiny when performed by women. Those currently working in technology hope to counter these views by embracing high-visibility roles and working to increase diversity within their organizations.

Women share the additional burden of conflicting workplace standards: Be nice, but not too nice. Dress professionally, but not fancy. Deliver results but don’t be aggressive. Indeed, women must navigate different paths for success than men. Some women reject the idea of likability and aim for respect instead, while others view their likability as a necessary element to their effectiveness. The challenge, many admit, lies in striving for a balance between maintaining likability and pursuing career aspirations.

To initiate change, women must help others to improve diversity and ensure respect in the workplace.

Workplaces naturally create competitive tension among employees who aim for management positions. While men compete with one another for positions every day, without ill feelings, for women on the same team, this situation can create a quandary. An unspoken rule persists in some organizations that management limits the number of senior positions available to women. In such circumstances, the instinct to fight for your own survival can lead you to throw the notion of helping other women out of the window. But the fact remains that women need to support one another if they hope to achieve the long-term goal of increasing overall numbers. Only in doing this will they strengthen the opportunities for women in technology.

“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help women.” (Madeleine Albright)

Some women suggest that male bosses manage them more transparently and truthfully than female bosses. Diane, for example, found her female boss inconsistent in her support, and Beam, wishes her female director had endorsed her during a reorganization. This, in turn, makes Beam less likely to trust female bosses and more likely to seek out male bosses. To increase overall numbers, women need to respect one another, be honest with one another and realize that only in encouraging one another will women advance based on their merits.

The concept of “having it all” remains beyond reach for many.

Statistics show that 41% of mothers are the sole or primary earners in the family. At the same time, most also shoulder the majority of home and child care responsibilities. Unsurprisingly, women gravitate toward topics of well-being and balance when speaking about their work and home lives. Many struggle, for example, to focus on both their careers and their families, and they often feel that motherhood erects barriers to success – either from not having the time to devote to their careers or from dealing with others’ negative perceptions and discrimination in the workplace.

“I have decided that my concept of ‘having it all’ is really over my lifetime. That I don’t expect to be able to have it all now and certainly not ever in a perfect way. I will be deliberate and think of my life in phases.”

Technology companies offer greater flexibility than most organizations, and many women leverage that advantage to dedicate more time to work and family. Alas, because they can work from anywhere, work can then permeate their home lives, and women struggle to transition cleanly from work to family. Christine acknowledges that tech jobs often require after-hours work due to launch deadlines and the need to be accessible 24/7. Frances, meanwhile, feels both her work and home life need more of her time and attention than she can possibly give. Bethanie argues, however, that rather than “having it all,” women need to accept that they must prioritize the tasks that are most important to them.

Women in tech frequently encounter the need to prove themselves in a male-dominated work culture.

Men typically outnumber women in the technology sector, and women often face questions about their abilities or perceptions that they rank below their male peers. Take the following approaches to thrive in the face of such challenges:

1. Become resilient – Rely on your abilities to push through adversity and persevere, even when you doubt yourself. Alex, for example, learned to stay confident in her developer role by collaborating with others – though she admits that some people still question her abilities. Others, like Carrie and Rachel, believe that ignoring signs of unfairness or bias gives them the edge they need. Many women opt to rely on their internal optimism, agreeing that negative attitudes diminish their influence and respect.
2. Promote yourself – Too much humility hinders your career growth, yet women struggle with the negative perceptions and external resistance associated with self-promotion. You must actively promote your talents; don’t rely solely on your work to speak for you. Speak up at meetings. Work on your presentation skills, and hone soft skills, such as leadership and management.
3. Ask instead of making assumptions – Don’t refrain from asking for assignments, promotions or greater responsibility. Studies show that women are more reluctant than men to apply for “stretch” positions – that is, roles where they don’t meet all the qualifications. Learning to ask for what you need – be it for a referral or for help on a project – contributes to both on-the-job training and self-promotion.
4. Find support – If you feel isolated in your technology career, try networking with co-workers, enrolling in training programs and attending conferences for support. Moreover, focus on finding the right fit with a boss and an organizational culture.
5. Foster confidence – Empowering women helps a country’s overall economy, and recognizing and embracing the talent women bring while reducing pay inequities benefits everyone. Boost your self-image by recognizing your strengths, asserting yourself and saying no when necessary.

To ensure a balance between work and home life, women in tech must set boundaries.

Technology careers demand time and energy, and learning to say no to working longer hours proves challenging, since responsibilities don’t disappear at day’s end. On any given day, women can experience a range of emotions, including insecurity, guilt, optimism and satisfaction. Learn to navigate the peaks and valleys that tech jobs impose by aiming for balance. Focus on positive elements in your day. Take extended leave to gain perspective. Find the right job fit for greater satisfaction. Use your organization’s flexible work policies to carve out more time for family and community activities. And don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help.

“I’m reminded of an old game we played as children…We’d surround one girl who was lying on the ground. We’d place our fingers beneath her and recite, ‘Stiff as a feather, light as a board’ like a meditation prayer. After 30 seconds or so, we’d lift the girl using just our collective fingers. As a child it was magical. But it’s not magic – it’s the collective effort of all of us helping each other, a power we often underestimate. And when we all do it, the load is light. ”

Women cite many reasons for staying in their tech careers. Primary among them is the constant challenge of learning, creating and innovating. Many enjoy the people, the ability to impact communities and the financial security tech jobs provide.But not all women stay; in fact, studies show more than half of women in technology leave mid-career, due, in part, to the male-oriented culture, but also from having few female counterparts in their high-pressure jobs.

Women in tech suggest several strategies to boost retention of women workers within the industry:

• Promote more women to leadership positions.
• Provide greater flexibility to help women bear the dueling responsibilities of home and work.
• Encourage and accept more diverse points of view in the workplace.
• Create a more inclusive, less arrogant culture.

Ultimately, women need to look to mentors to help propel them in their careers, learn to balance work and family life without guilt and anxiety, and find the best culture fit. Furthermore, women in senior positions must pay it forward by recruiting and hiring more women, and by using their status to fight for equal pay.

About the Author

Alana Karen works in product development and innovation in the tech industry. She speaks at conferences on resilience, equity, inclusion and other industry-relevant topics. 

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