Marie Claire: Why should modern girls seriously consider a career in IT? Why is the profession tempting? Does it have room for women?
A. K.: It seems to me that in the modern world, any girl needs knowledge in the field of IT. Such knowledge will not only greatly facilitate everyday life, but also help build a career in this certainly interesting area. The profession is tempting, first of all, due to the possibility of continuous improvement of one's skills, constant movement forward. Of course, such a pace requires hard work and perseverance, which many of the fair sex possess. Is there a place for women in “IT” professions? Definitely there is! Did you know that the world's first programmer was exactly a woman, Ada Lovelace? A lot of time has passed since then, and many already perceive the profession as exclusively male, but in vain … Girls can not only look great, but also write great code.
MS: What do you need to prepare yourself for if you have chosen this path? What are the pitfalls? How to neutralize the disadvantages of the profession?
А. К.: This has not happened to me, but I heard from friends of female programmers that sometimes male colleagues treat them with some disdain. According to their logic, if you are a girl, then you are more of a designer or advertiser than a programmer. I strongly disagree with this! Perhaps this is the only pitfall that can be encountered in everyday life. But we are able to fight it! Your achievements at work, diligent performance of all tasks. Another peculiar disadvantage that many programmers (both boys and girls) are prone to is a tendency to introversion. But this is "cured" by live communication with family and friends in their free time.
MS: How to “survive” and succeed when working in a male team (features of dress code, behavior, fighting stereotypes) ?
A. K.: There is only one advice - to be confident in your abilities. And prepare for the fact that the requirements for the girl programmer will be slightly higher. As for the features of the dress code, they are more typical for state institutions. Western-style companies pay more attention to the results of work than to the appearance of the employee. But, of course, it is worth keeping yourself within the framework of the norms of a cultured society.
The stereotype that female programmers are like guinea pigs (they have nothing to do with the sea or pigs) has long been gone. The examples of people like Marissa Mayer clearly show what a woman can achieve in IT.
MS: What areas in IT, in your opinion, are the most promising? Trends and forecasts
A. K.: In the near future we will see a big leap forward in machine learning and the development of artificial intelligence. Already, computer programs can beat the best chess and go players, draw pictures, drive cars, find people from photos, communicate with people through devices (like Siri and Cortana). This will lead to the fact that many professions will be fully robotized, and the demand for IT specialists, on the contrary, will increase.
MS: The IT sphere is developing dynamically. What you need to do to stay “on top of the things”
A. K.: Follow trends, participate in conferences (as a viewer or speaker) and, at a minimum, subscribe to Twitter for those who can be called locomotives moving IT into a brighter future. This will allow you not only to keep abreast of events, but also to meet many interesting people.
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