CAREER BARRIERS AND ENHANCERS

In coding the interview dataset, themes were identified using note taking and tagging features of the software. Tables 2 and 3 list the most com­mon categories of career barriers and enhancers and the numbers of women who spoke about the listed category in the table. Women, were asked to tell their career stories, and then asked broad ques­tions about their success in the IT profession and were not prompted to speak about these particular categories. The quotations that follow are taken from transcripts of the interviews; interviewees are identified by number only.

Several themes emerged during the interviews. Women shared personal and work experiences,

Women at all levels of their organizations recognized the importance of mentoring and networking, understanding the politics of the organization, and having a sponsor or boss who would promote and make opportunities known to her. Earlier in their careers, women identified a need for education and for seeing the ‘bigger picture’ in the projects on which they worked. They also were aware that women should explic­itly ask for what they want, to make their career expectations clear to their managers. A few women mentioned ‘giving a little extra.’ By this, they meant that it was advantageous to foster good relationships with people, and deliver extra high — quality technical services to the client. It could also make the job more interesting, as a cost ana­lyst at an engineering firm said,

… it can be something that is not officially as­signed, but you can deliver more than what they want. If you can show them that you can do some­thing extra, above and beyond what is needed…. it’s meaningful because it’s more interesting than what the job calls for. (R20)

One woman in risk management worked for a woman manager who continually alienated employees in other departments. The interviewee said she had to build bridges behind her manager’s back, in order to get information she needed to do an effective job. She did not believe in “burning her bridges.”

People in network security knew our perspective but they didn’t really care to help us out at times because they didn’t want to deal with my boss. I would build relationships with them and they would tell me something was going to happen. It would be a little diamond they were handing me. Then I would have to develop it and then say that I heard that something was happening and that would really start the wheels rolling. But, if I didn’t have that relationship with them, they never would have given us the heads-up. (R15)

All of the women felt that some form of team­work, being able to solve the client’s problem, and understanding the business, were important career boosters. Several of them felt that doing different jobs within a firm or changing jobs gave them the advantage of having a broader perspective. A devastating job loss could lead to an even bet­ter opportunity. These women knew that women needed to display confidence to ensure that the people above them were aware of their capabili­ties and accomplishments.

Most women gave the advice “Don t take it per­sonally. ”

So, if someone puts your idea down, and I have been in situations where someone says “I think that’s ridiculous.” To be able to say that you don’t agree, but it’s your thought and you are putting it out for consideration. Being able to be gracious, even when you are on the line of fire, which hap­pens a lot. (R39)

When an organization was too top heavy and had no women executives, or at most a token woman or two, women saw fewer opportunities for promotion. They also identified specific career paths with ‘dead ends’ or having no clear path to the top. One woman who became the manager of an IT Audit group, recognized that managers of the audit group never advanced to the VP level in the firm. However, these jobs could be appropriate for women when they had young families, since the demands for longer hours were lower.

Women felt the strains of worklife balance. Women who worked in consulting firms often needed to travel for work, and only saw their families on weekends.

The bottom line is that if you travel this much, you cannot do it. You have to face reality. It was a choice that I had to make. What is my top prior­ity? Is it the family and the baby? Or is my top priority my consulting work? I chose the family and the child because… one of them has to be the first, whichever one is the most critical and important at the time. (R17)

One woman manager, with several children including a disabled son, took less pay in a more flexible organization, so she could deal with fam­ily emergencies.

I can use my project management skills and get everyone on a routine, but that only goes so far, until somebody misses a bus or somebody has a medical emergency or daycare flakes out or whatever happens. (R14)

Women reported not ‘looking right’ for the job and having to prove themselves on the job in ways men did not. Women who looked young especially had difficulties.

I was with the companyfor a little over three years there. What I noticed is when I was applying for the job, a lot ofpeople were very skeptical of two things. They’re not used to having an IT audit manager who is a woman and I look awfully young for the job. … One of the directors told me, … [if a] man tries so hard andfails, they get praise for it, because they tried. But, when we try so hard andfail, it’s because we’re a women and we don’t know what we’re doing. I, myfirst reaction to that comment was that I thought she probably exagger­ated, but, dealing with these people long enough, I can see that happening and I can understand why most of these women have the mentality that they have, that they have to prove themselves so hard. Their role is constantly challenged. Their ability to get the job is constantly challenged. And these men are not shy about challenging all these things. (R33)

The woman who made the following observa­tion was not especially young, but she was the lone woman in a “macho” networking group. She worked with the telephony system, which the men viewed as lower status:

… even though I had the exact same degree as some of the guys in the networking department, and I did telephony and they did data switches, and I kept up with them in grades, and everything was equal, I was not equal. I presented that to my boss, but he didn’t do anything. It might have just been him, but I am quite certain that people above him felt the same way. (R19)

Another barrier was a lack of meaningful work that yielded visible accomplishments and enhanced the woman’s reputation. One high — level manager tried to figure out how to build a career as a ‘direct generator of revenue,’ rather than playing a support role to the business. Work directly related to the business units is higher in status than support or “overhead” work. Several interviewees mentioned that it was better to work in a group that was not part of the IT department. By moving their careers to a higher status position, or moving into an organization where IT is the business focus, women can gain more power and exposure in their careers. One woman advanced after she remained and ‘saved the day’ when her company was having difficulties, and the people above her left for other jobs.