As the Center for Women and Information Technology
(CWIT) has gained recognition, the number of phone and e-mail
queries we receive has skyrocketed. We can't keep up. Hence,
this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Please look through
the FAQ to see whether your question, or one like it, is covered
here. We are unable to provide career advice, advice/information
about courses, degrees, or certification, or statistics about
women and IT beyond what is offered in the FAQ. (Last updated:
April 27, 2006)
Visit About.com's Internet for Beginners and explore a free
online course such as Net 101, or find information on a topic
that interests you: tutorials, browsers, search engines, e-mail,
netiquette, jargon explained, shopping online, net games, and
much more. (One caveat: this site carries annoying pop-up ads
that lurk behind your browser window. When you close your window,
up pops the ad window. Some software programs exist to kill
such ads; alternatively, you can just close the ad window and
get on with your life.) A useful site that isn't plagued
with pop-up ads is The
HelpWeb: A Guide to Getting Started on the Internet.
Read Live Wire: Computer Confidence for Women, a series
of funny, informative articles written in 1996-1998 by Rachel
K. Adelson. Although a lot has happened in IT since she wrote
them, Rachel's column 
is still useful both for novices and for women who are tech-savvy.
Sample titles: "Exposed: The Secret Language of Computers,"
"Lost in Cyberspace? How to Find Yourself," and "I'm Sorry,
We Have to Operate."
Check to see whether there is a community technology center
nearby (many are located in public libraries, such as Baltimore's
Enoch Pratt Library); they often offer free or very low-cost
classes on a range of topics for beginners. So too do many continuing/adult
education programs, which you may find in your local high school
or community college
2. I am interested in a career change
into an IT field. Where should I start?
Inform yourself by checking out sites such as the A
Day in the Life section of the Binary
Girl web site: it offers descriptions of what it's like
to work in a variety of IT-related jobs, written by women in
those jobs.
Go to a large and content-rich site such as About.com
and browse through their Computing
& Technology section, where you can sign up for an e-mail
newsletter, read the tech news of the day, and get information
on a range of topics from hardware to software, careers to
networks, and programming to e-mail. Another very useful resource
is the job site Techies.com.
In addition to job listings, it provides information about
what different jobs are like and about salaries, training,
certification, etc. Issue #124 of the British online newsletter
Free Pint includes a useful article entitled Job
Hunting Resources on the Web. Also helpful may be DC Web
Women's Job
Seekers Column, which offers advice about job search issues
and etiquette.
An
especially useful new resource is Career
Voyager, a combined effort sponsored by the U. S. Department
of Labor and the Department of Education. One section is devoted
to IT. You can see projected job growth, salaries overall
or by state, hot jobs, preparation needed, and a LOT more.
Join an e-mail discussion group (often called a "list"
or "listserv") for women in IT. E-mail lists are great
places to ask questions such as how to make a career change
into IT. You're likely to get some useful, friendly responses
from women who know what they're talking about, perhaps even
some women who made similar career moves themselves. If you
join a list that serves the area where you live, you may also
be able to make some helpful personal contacts.
For e-mail lists and organizations for Baltimore/Washington
women in IT, see our Local Resources
for Women in IT. To find local lists for other areas,
check out the listings at WorldWIT
(Women in Technology) or the chapters of the Association
of Women in Computing, many of which have e-mail lists
(as well as monthly face-to-face meetings). If no lists serve
your area, try a national list. CWIT's Gender-Related
Electronic Forums listing includes an entire section devoted
to national and international women-related lists in science
and technology.
If
you live in the Baltimore/Washington area, take a look at
CWIT's IT Training for the Adult
Learner.
3. I'd like some training. Where can I take classes? Do I need certification?
Check
local colleges and universities for their course offerings.
If you're in the Baltimore/Washington area, find out more
about UMBC's offerings
by visiting the following UMBC departmental websites:
Information Systems
Computer Science/Electrical
Engineering
Imaging and Digital
Arts
Check
out courses at your local community
college. Also, be sure to look at adult or continuing
education programs at colleges in your area. These programs
usually offer moderately priced classes geared towards the
adult learner.
Consider
computer certification. Computer certification usually involves
fairly short, intensive courses that focus on a specific aspect
of IT, such as databases, networking, web administration,
etc., followed by standardized exams that lead to nationally-recognized
certification. Certifications exist for entry-level positions
(e.g., A+, MOUS) as well as for more advanced skills. Read
about certification at About.com's Computer
Certification section, where Donna L. Matthews offers
a great deal of useful information. Be sure to check out her
Certification
for Beginners section. Among the things she covers there
are "How to Decide Between a Degree and Certification" and
"How to Pick a Certification." Techies.com also has extensive
information about certification.
Many commercial training centers offer a wide range of courses
and programs leading to certification. If you're in the Baltimore/Washington
area, take a look at IT Training
for the Adult Learner in our Local
IT Resources section. To check on the quality of the training
center, try posting a question on a local e-mail discussion
list for women in IT.
Consider
online training. Online training usually works best for the
motivated self-learner. You can find some places to start
by checking out IT Training for
the Adult Learner, which includes a number of online training
opportunities. Although most of the resources mentioned are
in the Baltimore/Washington area, you do not need to live
in the area to enroll in these online programs.
4. What financial aid is available for women who want to study IT?
Be
sure to check with the institutions you're most interested
in attending. Many offer financial aid for women interested
in studying information technology at both the undergraduate
and the graduate level.
For
additional sources of financial aid, see CWIT's Financial
Aid for Women in IT.
5. I'm about to start work/ I'm
already working in an IT field and I'd like to discuss issues
with other women in my profession. What should I do?
Network
by joining an e-mail discussion list for women in IT. If you
join one that serves the area where you live, you should be
able to make some helpful personal contacts. To find a local
list for women in IT, check out the listings at WorldWIT
or the chapters of the Association
of Women in Computing, many of which have e-mail lists
(as well as monthly face-to-face meetings). If no lists serve
your area, try a national list (e.g., SYSTERS,
for women in computing). CWIT's Gender-Related
Electronic Forums listing includes an entire section devoted
to national and international women-related lists in science
and technology. (If you're new to e-mail lists, check out
this page.)
Go to local get-togethers offered through area organizations.
The Association for Women
in Computing is a national organization with local chapters
that usually offer regular meetings, e-mail lists, and workshops.
If you're in the Baltimore/Washington area, see our Local
Resources for Women in IT.
Find
a mentor. To find out more about what mentors do and how they
can help, visit MentorNet.
6. I'd like to help girls and young
women get interested in technology. Any suggestions?
Visit
CWIT's Web
Sites for Girls and Young Women, where you'll find both
websites for girls and websites geared towards adults wishing
to help girls.
You may also find our Programs for
Girls listing useful. You may also wish to get involved
with the Center for Women and Information
Technology and participate in one or more of CWIT's initiatives.
For more information, you can call the Center at 410-455-2822
or write to cwit@umbc.edu
.
7. I'd like to find a summer program
for my daughter. What's available?
Check
local colleges and schools for programs. Also, check out our Programs
for Girls page. It focuses primarily on the Baltimore/Washington area, but it includes a few programs outside the area as well.
8. I am a journalist/researcher
writing about women and the Internet. Where can I find data or other information about the current situation of women and information technology?
Check CWIT's Quick Facts on Women and Information Technology (a Word document). This 6-page document brings together much useful data about women and IT, both in the United States and internationally.
Another good source of information about
women and IT are CWIT's listings of women-related web sites
focusing on science
and technology and on cyberculture
and internet information.
You
might also take a look at CWIT's frequently-updated section
News About Women and IT. A number
of the news articles deal with women in IT businesses and
with women's Internet use.
If
you're looking for more in-depth discussion of women and IT,
you may find CWIT's extensive bibliography of Books
About Women and IT quite useful. It contains more than
100 entries and provides links to reviews, descriptions, author
interviews, book web sites, and anything else that may help
you decide whether the work is what you're looking for.
Demographic
data about women and IT can also be found on several demographics
sites. ClickZ (formerly
CyberAtlas, and also now incorporating NUA) has extensive demographic reports on a searchable
site; try searching on "women." eMarketer
has a searchable site and lots of demographic reports, with
a focus on commerce; and for a sizeable listing of Internet
demographic resources, see the Internet
Demographics Directory.
9. What IT resources are available
for women and girls in the Baltimore/Washington area?
See
CWIT's Local IT Resources for Women and
Girls.
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