Why Should Young Women Consider a Career in Information Technology?

What do IT people do?

  • Listen to creative, technical women talk about their IT businesses -- NCWIT Heroes
  • Watch a video about a day in the life of IT workers
  • Helen Greiner saves lives with robots… and vacuums the house!
  • Firefox security specialist Window Snyder keeps your computer safe
  • Read about other women in IT
  

What kinds of jobs are there in IT?

  

Get started now! Make your own games, stories, and more – for free

  • Scratch is an easy-to-use programming language for creating stories, animations, games, music, and art
  • Use SiMPLE to make games, change photographs, produce special effects, and more
  • Program 3D graphics and tell stories with Alice

Meaningful Work

IT professionals work on creative teams to develop cutting-edge products and solutions that save lives, solve health problems, improve the environment, and keep us connected.

  

Security and High Salaries with a Bachelor's Degree

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that IT jobs will be among the fastest-growing and highest-paying over the next decade. The jobs in greatest demand will require a computing degree. These jobs, critical to our nation's economy and security, also earn the highest entry-level salary of any bachelor's degree. Yet it takes less time to complete the required education than for other respected professions, such as doctors and lawyers.

  

Flexibility and Variety

Many IT careers offer flexible hours or telecommuting, making it easier to blend career and family. And IT professionals have skills that are useful in many different jobs.

What should you tell a young woman about a career in IT?

  • IT's important. She can use her skills to help solve pressing social problems in a variety of fields.
  • IT's creative. She can use her creativity in many different jobs and roles; she will always find new challenges in her work.
  • IT's team-oriented. She will do much more than use a computer. She will work with others as part of a creative team.
  • IT's valued, respected, and flexible. She will enjoy challenging work in a well-respected field that pays well and often offers flexible hours.
  • IT's everywhere. Most colleges offer majors in computer science, computer engineering, and related fields. Check out the programs nearest you, and start planning now!
  

How can a young woman prepare now for a career in IT?

  • Get creative with computers. Explore computer programming with Scratch or Alice (available for free at scratch.mit.edu or alice.org).
  • Keep taking math classes. Math skills are important in many jobs. Taking these classes will help her keep her options open.
  • Take computer science courses. If they are not offered at her school she may find them at a local community college.
  • Study art, language, science and music. IT employers look for well-rounded employees.
  • Join after-school computing or technology clubs. Also look for summer computing camps. They're fun, and she will learn new things.

Pictured right: A team of Purdue University students won $15,000 for their Talk-a-Toy project, which teaches children English and math.