woman in IT field

I had a BS degree and currently working on my Master degree in Information System, I also had two years Tech training on Business programming and web developments, plus A+ certification. I have worked as software support and Application Specialist.

I also happened to have a excellent resume and got a lot interviews. but the point is :

I always the only woman in the interview, and people always tend to think man are better than woman in this field. (some are ture, but some are not !!!)

I got a lot less paid than man in this field, even I am a lot better than some of them. One of my friend, could not get excel strainght, but got a IT job, got 15k pay more than me. Just because he has top clearence when he was intern in capital hill 17 years ago.

anybody there could give any advice on how to act during the interview and beat these &&&& ???

thanks, Jun

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Comments

keatron

Just keep gaining knowledge and keep making a strong showing. As far as how to act in an interview, I'd just say be honest and be yourself. Try to practice interviewing with someone and see if you can work out ways to point out your strong points.

I will also point out that Top Secret clearance is big (It took me over a year and 4 months to actually finally get the clearance). So depending on the types of contracts the company works on clearance level might get a person tremendously less qualified the job over someone more qaulified. Also I'd like to point out that my receptionist can run circles around me when it comes to actually "using" excel, but that doesn't make her qualified to do my job.

Good luck, stay focused, and don't EVER give up.

Baredor

yeah the clearance is a major thing. I've had people tell me "if you had a security clearance I could get you a job tomorrow - I don't care how much you know about the field". Training you for the job often takes much less time than it does to get you a clearance, so...

Chivalry1

Secret Clearance is the reason I should have joined the military (Marine Corps). You can obtain a job quickly!

garv221

keatron wrote:

Also I'd like to point out that my receptionist can run circles around me when it comes to actually "using" excel, but that doesn't make her qualified to do my job.

Now this is so true..People always ask me questions about office...I'm like "huh, how to merge a letter with bold...ect" I don't know, ask that girl from accounting..

PCHoldmann

Tangent here...

What do you do to get the security clearence, aside from four years in the marines?

Peter

ja5983

garv221 wrote:

keatron wrote:

Also I'd like to point out that my receptionist can run circles around me when it comes to actually "using" excel, but that doesn't make her qualified to do my job.

Now this is so true..People always ask me questions about office...I'm like "huh, how to merge a letter with bold...ect" I don't know, ask that girl from accounting..

not to keep going on the tangent but man are you right! I do security for my job but also supervise the help desk and whenever i get asked excel and word questions like the shortcut for spell check...merging this with that...doing this formula...i think about running and hiding! people think that because you are in IT that if it plugs into a wall...or runs on batteries...you are the master of it and MUST know the answer!

keenon

that was the only reason he got paid more than you.. secert clearance is a big thing.. i would say see about getting yours. aside from that don't low ball yourself with the first offer but ask around before stating your rate to get an average to work with for doing that job

remyforbes777

I find it quite amazing that no one told her to quit complaining. LOL No one said anything of the sort. Not, well you are just assuming cause he is a man that he makes more than you. Not a hint of it at all. Not that its not true. I just can't stand hypocrisy. Noone corrected her on grammar, or anything. When pretty boy stated that being black might be the reason he is not getting promoted people came out of the woodworks to tell him to quit complaining, work on your grammar. I am not suprised, America was built on hypocrisy.

paige1

I find it quite amazing that no one told her to quit complaining. LOL No one said anything of the sort. Not, well you are just assuming cause he is a man that he makes more than you. Not a hint of it at all. Not that its not true. I just can't stand hypocrisy. Noone corrected her on grammar, or anything. When pretty boy stated that being black might be the reason he is not getting promoted people came out of the woodworks to tell him to quit complaining, work on your grammar. I am not suprised, America was built on hypocrisy.

Ouch!

mobri09

IT Women are hot! I like the diversity, but as far as things go in todays IT world.....Employment for women in the IT field is around 17% which is not to good. I am not saying anything agaist women....just the facts.

shadown7

mobri09 wrote:

IT Women are hot!

Umm, not all of them.

keenon

remyforbes777 wrote:

I find it quite amazing that no one told her to quit complaining. LOL No one said anything of the sort. Not, well you are just assuming cause he is a man that he makes more than you. Not a hint of it at all. Not that its not true. I just can't stand hypocrisy. Noone corrected her on grammar, or anything. When pretty boy stated that being black might be the reason he is not getting promoted people came out of the woodworks to tell him to quit complaining, work on your grammar. I am not suprised, America was built on hypocrisy.

and that is so true.. noone told her to quit complaining but they did find a away to turn a possible racism issue into something else and not deal with that fact

as anyone can tell what i am
<<< don't i look good

that still doesn't change the fact that anytime someone african american says something about discrimination everyone seems to go " o here he/they go again"

but to be honest if we never said anything or struggled equal rights would have never been passed as a law (althought in the bill of rights) of which other races other than of african decent, females and of different religions. of which ALL have benefitted from this.

SO to all those if someone of African decent says something of possible discrimination- GET YOU $SS ON THE WAGON BECAUSE SOMETHING IS GOING TO GET CHANGED THAT YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM but its better to be there for the fight than get the instant replay

BLUE OR RED PILL?

mobri09

shadow7 that was funny

I guess your right

Drakonblayde

garv221 wrote:

keatron wrote:

Also I'd like to point out that my receptionist can run circles around me when it comes to actually "using" excel, but that doesn't make her qualified to do my job.

Now this is so true..People always ask me questions about office...I'm like "huh, how to merge a letter with bold...ect" I don't know, ask that girl from accounting..

Thank god I'm not the only one

I can usually make a computer do anything I want it to. But that all depends on what I *want* it to do. I don't play with Excel. I don't play with the advanced functions of Word (hell, I'm still good with Notepad), hell, I don't even know Outlook that well.

But you see that mail server? It runs because I make it. You know those websites you're able to get? Yeah, well, that's because I setup the router.

People just don't seem to understand: I'm the Network Nerd, not the Microsoft Moron.

keatron

I find it quite amazing that no one told her to quit complaining. LOL No one said anything of the sort. Not, well you are just assuming cause he is a man that he makes more than you. Not a hint of it at all. Not that its not true. I just can't stand hypocrisy. Noone corrected her on grammar, or anything. When pretty boy stated that being black might be the reason he is not getting promoted people came out of the woodworks to tell him to quit complaining, work on your grammar. I am not suprised, America was built on hypocrisy.

She ended her post by saying "Does anyone have any advice on how to do better in the interviews"

You did not sir, your initial post was simply making a statement. As far as the grammar thing and the whole extended discussion you guys had about what is advice and what is not? I had no parts in that. And hypocrisy, racism and pure ignorance is something we're forced to deal with. My point was to share my experience; just to give you another perspective and another way of dealing with it.

xjx

remyforbes777 wrote:

I find it quite amazing that no one told her to quit complaining. LOL No one said anything of the sort. Not, well you are just assuming cause he is a man that he makes more than you. Not a hint of it at all. Not that its not true. I just can't stand hypocrisy. Noone corrected her on grammar, or anything. When pretty boy stated that being black might be the reason he is not getting promoted people came out of the woodworks to tell him to quit complaining, work on your grammar. I am not suprised, America was built on hypocrisy.

I am a woman, one of the most important job is complaning, this is how your man get improve yourself

Thank you for point out my grammar, that helps too

I talked about my friend's Excel skill, I mean besides he know how to start the program, I doubt he know what to do with it. for god seek, his job is DBA, he knows nothing about Access, he often ask me to do his job over the email or phone, so he won't get fired in first 90 days.

anybody there, please don't get mad at me about your excel skills, I was trying to make a point

for everybody's information, I did not intend to start topic of discrimination, I was just asking advice how to get ahead during the interview, let them forget the fact (woman)

anybody there who has interviewer or interview experience, would be really appraciated your suggustions.

PS: I am hot , but mini-skirt won't get you a good IT job

xjx

PCHoldmann wrote:

Tangent here...

What do you do to get the security clearence, aside from four years in the marines?

Peter

Join the National Guard

Noods

On second thought, sratch this post.

remyforbes777

My post was not to criticize anyone , it was to shed light on what I see as pure hypocrisy. I know its there and people have to deal with it, at the same time that doesnt make it right. Noods was right on about perserverance. That is the only combatant. I am not going to turn this into another post like the other one, i just wanted to point that out.

Noods

Well, its not fair to the progress that the country has made to say the system is based off of hypocrisy. Our laws dictate fair and equal treatment, and there were many people of many colors that died to see that those laws were created. Unfortunately, there are a lot of jerkoffs in the world who would choose to ignore them.

Its not about the system. Its about jerkoffs. If you are desciminated against, get a lawyer, heads will roll.

xjx

Noods wrote:

Its not about the system. Its about jerkoffs. If you are desciminated against, get a lawyer, heads will roll.

No lawyers, please... I don't have that guts to get a human finger in my Chili and sue for the money

only advices please...

I got so many interviews, but no offers , now I am depressed

dagger1x

As a radioman in the USN I held a Top Secret security clearence back in the early 80s. Does that have any relevence now. How does a person go about getting a clearence as a civilian. Ive heard the only practicle way is to get hired by the Govt and let them do it which is a catch 22 in that you need the clearence to get the job but you need the job to get the clearence.

strauchr

OK Yeah, first of all do stop whinging. I have worked at places where women have been paid more than me even though they were hopeless and had no where near the skills and quals I had. The best manager I ever had was also a woman, a very intelligent, logical thinking one at that. She also had great technical skills.

Its not as bad as prettyboy's whine but it is getting there. Now I'm not saying discrimination doesn't exist but we have to be careful before crying wolf to many times. Now I am almost 100% sure I have been knocked back for jobs because a) I was the only white person interviewing for an all asian IT dept. and b) I was the only man interviewing for an all woman IT section of an IT dept. In fact where I work right now every one of the Lotus Notes team is female headed by a female team leader! Discrimination - possibly. I also believe I have been passed over for projects and promotions because I am fairly young (26) and because I am not friends with the manager even though I have more skills, exp. and quals.

So there you go, discrimination everywhere about things that I cannot change so why is discimination such a hot topic among gender and race?? In todays day and age where we are all trying put the bad things of the past behind us we have people crying wolf at the first sign of unfairness!! Lifes unfair, things don't work how they are supposed to so you just have to battle on the best you can. Only these people crying wolf are the ones taking humanity back a step on the evolutionary ladder (not to mention the tiny percentage of people who actually DO discriminate against anyone)

The only way you will win a position in a company is by being more skilled, qualified and experienced than the rest of the candidates and then on top of that having the personality and communications skills that will best fit the business. Either that or have a friend that can get you a job. Thats it, you would have no more success if you dressed as a man!

xjx

dagger1x wrote:

As a radioman in the USN I held a Top Secret security clearence back in the early 80s. Does that have any relevence now. How does a person go about getting a clearence as a civilian. Ive heard the only practicle way is to get hired by the Govt and let them do it which is a catch 22 in that you need the clearence to get the job but you need the job to get the clearence.

when you go to interview , you should tell them you had top clearence before, this will increase to get you a job. It is easier to renew than get a completely new one.

I had couple friends get hired this way, one of them had clearence back 17 years ago as inern.

there are not many people has it, if you had it, the company might consider you first.

xjx

strauchr wrote:

So there you go, discrimination everywhere about things that I cannot
The only way you will win a position in a company is by being more skilled, qualified and experienced than the rest of the candidates and then on top of that having the personality and communications skills that will best fit the business. Either that or have a friend that can get you a job. Thats it, you would have no more success if you dressed as a man!

thank you

/usr

Speaking of women in the IT field...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/232514_msftarfa14.html

strauchr

Your welcome

keatron

To get the clearance you don't "have" to work for the government. I don't, but some of the contracts we work on requires it. I know on the FBI's website it says something to the effect of you have to work for the government, but I know from experience it is not always the case. Unless certain contracts are classified as "working for government".

paige1

Speaking of women in the IT field...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/232514_msftarfa14.html

That is quite a story

jd_mattos

I work for a government contractor, and you don't have to work for the government directly. My company is contracted by the government and does require clearances.
You pretty much have to have a job that deals with government clearances to get one. Not to say that you have be working there to have the clearance, like if I quit today my clearance would still be valid.
But the governement clearance group is not going to give you a clearance unless you need one for a job, because it costs money to do all of the paperwork, backgound checks, interviews, and so on.
And yes it is true if you have had one before it is easier to get a update in most cases. But in that huge pile of paperwork, your dates and info better be the same as when you entered it the first time, or then you are lying on a governement security document ( Doesn't look good to the people that decide if you can have the clearance)
Other advantages you can have are young age (because they only go back to 1

,past military experience ( with honorable discharge), and lived in the same town for a long time.
They can go thru very quickly and painlessly in certain cases.