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Women in I.T.

My first experience of computers was back in 1984, when my primary school bought a spanking new BBC computer. Whilst the teacher left the room, one of my classmates typed a rather crude word onto the keyboard. I stood amazed that the word actually appeared on the screen (little must have impressed me then!).

Roll on 21 years, and my relationship with the world of IT has included dull GCSE computers, working for an IT consumables company, researching for my degree, more tedious computer classes with silly acronyms and oh yes, eight years working as a internet marketing specialist for companies in Belfast, Brighton and more recently my own in Enniskillen.

One of the Governments latest areas of concern is that of women in IT. They have highlighted that as well as a very small percentage of women in the industry, there are too few female role models and IT is largely the domain of men.

Whilst, it is definitely true to say that there are a very small percentage of women in the IT world, I think it would be unfair to single out the IT industry as some sort of conspiratorial male group.
In my experience, I have found that the IT world is one of the few industries, whereby career opportunities are more readily available. After graduation, I worked with one of Northern Ireland's top newspapers and was shocked at the outward displays of sexism that was rife through out the whole company. I am glad to say that I have never seen this in any IT company I have worked for.

That's not to say that working in IT is some perfect utopia - of course its not! What it is though, is a new industry that is based on skills and capability.

In regards to few women role models in the industry, this is most definitely true. However I don't think it is a lack of female role models that are stopping women break into IT.

It's about getting the right skills and experience. Having asked a college recently, what courses they offered that were IT related, I was under whelmed with the selection! Networking, Microsoft Office or FrontPage web design...I could hardly contain myself!

It seems there is a shortfall between the courses provided by colleges and training organisations and industry needs. I know of people who have got government backed qualifications in Internet marketing but don't actually know what it means or how to do it!

In my years working in IT, one of the most telling indicators is how women and men view themselves in relation to IT. Ask a female, who probably uses Microsoft Office everyday, who uses email and shops online, how she ranks her IT abilities, more often than not, she will consider herself useless with computers. Ask this question to a male and I will guarantee you, that even if the last time he saw a computer was in the film 'War Games' he reckons he is semi-literate!

There is a definite barrier that women must get over when it comes to IT and that barrier is themselves. Instead of worrying about what they don't know, they should focus on an area that interests them and begin to niche in.

When I was made redundant from the web company I worked for in 2001 (they blamed the dot bomb, I blamed management incompetence but that's another rant), I had a choice. I could stay in Northern Ireland and probably not find another job in Internet marketing or I could go to England where, internet marketing was starting to take off. I chose the latter.

I rank myself as highly IT literate. OK, I still don't know how to network a computer, how to put one together, how to design in flash, how to create a CMS, but why should I? Eight years ago I wanted to find out about marketing on the Internet and that's exactly what I did.

Noreen Cleary is co-founder of Elemental Creative Ltd, a specialist usability and accessibility testing and search engine optimisation company, based in Enniskillen for more information, click on www.elementalcreative.co.uk

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