Career Advancement for Mid Level Women in Tech, Improving STEM Ed, Rewarding Behaviors for Women in Tech, Reevaluating Your Startups Culture, and Inequalities in the Workplace

Career Advancement and Junior/Mid-Level Women in Tech
Did you know that Evolved Employer released a report in June 2013 focused on mid-level women in tech aspiring toward career advancement? About 200 women in tech with perceived “ambitions” in career advancement were surveyed. The report provides insight into the approach these women take toward progressing in their careers, as well as the role employers can play in providing support for these women. In conducting this research, it became apparent that while these technical women aim to be promoted and/or hold senior management positions one day, their employers may not be supporting these goals as well as they might believe.
The article states “About a quarter (24.5 percent) [of employers] say the support for women’s advancement at their company ‘walks the talk,’ meaning that leaders ensure that what gets promised gets done. Interestingly, our research shows that following through on a promise to support employees is an important part of how companies can ignite women’s desire to lead in the long term.”
“Top 10 Ways Managers Can Increase the Visibility of Technical Women” highlights ten important recommendations supervisors or managers can readily adopt to improve visibility of their employees. These recommendations are particularly useful for improving the visibility of women, as well as employees from other underrepresented groups.
 
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Why We Should Improve STEM Ed and Increase Funding
Did you know that the number of STEM careers in the U.S. is expected to increase by 17% by the year 2018? According to the Commerce Department, people working in STEM fields now earn roughly 26% more annually than workers in non-STEM fields. This may sound promising for growth in STEM, however, while STEM workers become more vital to the U.S. workforce, high school and college students are not actively pursuing careers in STEM.
This article states: “While STEM employers are eager to hire, the number of students pursuing STEM-related majors continues to shrink, especially among women and minorities. Just 16% of American high school seniors are both proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career, and only 25% of STEM graduates are women.”
This article suggests that by improving STEM education and increasing funding, we can create an eager and educated STEM workforce. Continue reading here.
 
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Rewarding Behaviors for Women in Tech
Did you know that according to Deanna Ballew, manager of development and infrastructure at Widen Enterprises, there are certain behaviors that women in technology should practice in order to be successful? Based on her experience of taking computing and engineering college courses, as well as working in the industry, Deanna identifies what she believes to be five behaviors that are crucial to women breaking into tech fields.
“Whether you’re a woman or man, your success in the tech industry is going to come down to the same factors: Are you really good at what you do? Can you get the job done? And, perhaps most importantly, who are you and can you understand the people you work with?”
Read more about the five behaviors recommended by Deanna here.  
 
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Why Your Startup May Want to Reevaluate its Culture
Did you know that while many startup companies pride themselves on their unique company cultures, a large number of startups may have misconceptions about what defines a culture? Fast Company recently interviewed Shanley Kane, Director of Product Management at Basho, on the topic of startup cultures and how they can be improved.
Shanley referenced her own experiences in the workforce by stating “I noticed in Silicon Valley, and the tech industry in general, that a lot of people were giving these talks about what their culture was, and it was really superficial and focused on the privileged aspects of the company like free food and massages and all that stuff. I thought this was pretty destructive in terms of telling people that this is what culture is. It’s much more serious and much deeper.”
Read the entire interview here to learn more on Shanley’s thoughts on startup cultures, as well as how you can examine your own culture.
 
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Why We Should Improve STEM Ed and Increase Funding
Did you know that the number of STEM careers in the U.S. is expected to increase by 17% by the year 2018? According to the Commerce Department, people working in STEM fields now earn roughly 26% more annually than workers in non-STEM fields. This may sound promising for growth in STEM, however, while STEM workers become more vital to the U.S. workforce, high school and college students are not actively pursuing careers in STEM.
This article states: “While STEM employers are eager to hire, the number of students pursuing STEM-related majors continues to shrink, especially among women and minorities. Just 16% of American high school seniors are both proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career, and only 25% of STEM graduates are women.”
This article suggests that by improving STEM education and increasing funding, we can create an eager and educated STEM workforce. Continue reading here.
 
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Inequalities and Misconceptions in the Modern Workplace
Did you know that while women continue to make substantial strides in the workplace, a recent survey shows that they still have a long way to go before they will truly be equal to their male counterparts? Elle magazine and the Center for American Progress recently conducted a survey in which they surveyed 1,200 workers and came to surprising conclusions. The survey brought to light the disparity between men and women in the areas of salary, requesting raises, gender stereotypes, common misconceptions, and several others.
According to Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress, “the lack of policy support” can contribute to perpetuating disparities. “Women are striving for leadership, willing to take on new responsibilities. But they continually face hurdles,” said Tanden.
The survey also revealed some similarities between sexes in the workplace. “There is more equity between men and women in what they say they want,” said Robbie Myers, the Editor-in-Chief of Elle. “But both men and women feel women overall aren’t judged fairly in terms of our capabilities.”
Do inequalities and misconceptions exist in your company? Learn more about the problem here.
Check out NCWIT’s Talking Points resource, “Institutional Barriers & Their Effects: How can I talk to colleagues about these issues?”

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