Comment Why I Left IT (Score 1) 1027
I can't speak for all women, but I got out of IT after graduating with a degree in EE. Why? Drumroll... I got married.
Most large companies have entry-level programs that force you to do a rotation at their company headquarters then be sent off to whereever in the world they need you. Unacceptible if you're married.
Most IT companies expect 50+ hour workweeks on average, and that's not including crunchtime. Unacceptible if you're married.
One day I'm going to want to have kids which might mean working part time at a company for years. And part time needs to mean part-time, not doing 50 hours of work in 35. I'm not saying those types of companies don't exist, but in IT they don't seem to be common.
And finally, when you're married it no longer seems like a good idea to take tons of risk hoping that your stock options appreciate before the market tanks. A regular paycheck is more important.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter about this. Nor due I think this is due to prejudice. It makes sense for companies to organize around single men, as they are by far the majority of IT employees. My guess would be that this is what happens to a lot of women in IT. They're all set to be risk-taking, high-achieving CareerWomen(tm)... but eventually it would be nice to have a family too.
Most large companies have entry-level programs that force you to do a rotation at their company headquarters then be sent off to whereever in the world they need you. Unacceptible if you're married.
Most IT companies expect 50+ hour workweeks on average, and that's not including crunchtime. Unacceptible if you're married.
One day I'm going to want to have kids which might mean working part time at a company for years. And part time needs to mean part-time, not doing 50 hours of work in 35. I'm not saying those types of companies don't exist, but in IT they don't seem to be common.
And finally, when you're married it no longer seems like a good idea to take tons of risk hoping that your stock options appreciate before the market tanks. A regular paycheck is more important.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter about this. Nor due I think this is due to prejudice. It makes sense for companies to organize around single men, as they are by far the majority of IT employees. My guess would be that this is what happens to a lot of women in IT. They're all set to be risk-taking, high-achieving CareerWomen(tm)... but eventually it would be nice to have a family too.
