Imposters in Tech

I love to write, but doing so about gender and technology isn’t easy. As an engineer, I don’t see how the two intersect. One is a profession or hobby. The other is biology. I’d prefer the world reward me for my achievements, not what I am.

Whether I think gender has anything to do with my career isn’t the point. The point is others do.

• At trade shows, people wait in line to talk to a male coworker when I’m available
• I did a presentation where, if someone had a question, they asked it of the man next to me. Who wasn’t presenting
• As a hiring manager, I’ve been accused of preferring female candidates. I’ve interviewed less than a dozen women in 30 years. Out of hundreds

I have seldom had the opportunity to choose an employee based on gender. Or race. Or any other diversity tag you want to insert. What I have done: tried to listen and encourage multiple points of view, to be a good example for those who might be too shy to speak, or talked themselves out of a job without ever applying. If I step into the spotlight and fail, people can learn from that, too.

The point isn’t that I am a woman, or whether I should be celebrated for being one. The point is that the world doesn’t see me based solely on my professional achievements. Or you.

I see women early in their careers wonder if tech is right for them. Sometimes they are harassed directly. More often it’s unconscious. People may not know they are doing it. I guarantee you, women engineers get the message loud and clear: they do not belong.

Here’s a message to all you supposed posers: Technology doesn’t care about gender, ethnicity, or creed. You are not an imposter. You belong. Technology feeds on ideas. The more you have, and the more diverse, the better. This is how you build something stronger. This is how you innovate.

Being different does not make you an imposter. It makes you valuable.

The most important thing we can do—for ourselves and others—is to make the world a better place. That’s why we invented technology in the first place.