I’m giving a talk today at ACT-W titled “What Happens When Your Job Doesn’t Work Out?”. It’s about a problem most people I’ve known in tech have at some point: the moment you realize your job isn’t what you needed, wanted, or expected. For women this is often connected with some particularly gendered pressures: feeling alienated, being under-supported and underpaid, experiencing abuse or harassment, and other ways dysfunctional systems play out against us.
I came to realize that if this experience was so common, there might be strategies we could all use to navigate it better. I mapped out what I’ve learned from encountering this, and what I’ve seen friends go through as well. I think we do women in tech a disservice when the conversation veers between “we need more of you!” and “it might be a miserable experience!” without addressing what individuals can do to look after their own needs, and keep building the career they want.
If you’d like to read more, my slides are posted on Slideshare. If you find this relates to your own experiences, I’d love to hear from you.