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I've retired from the tech sector. While I was a working software developer, I took advantage of several opportunities to join organizations purportedly designed to support women in non-traditional fields, as well as supposedly helping women advance in their careers.
I can say they were pretty much all a waste of time and money.
I'm wondering if anyone on this board found value in one of these organizations, and what that value was.
I found them mostly to be marketing platforms for sales people with an agenda, usually led by clueless marketing people, or people who wanted to use it as a platform to advance their own careers.
Maybe I just didn't know how to work the system?
(that is such a female thing to do - assume I was the person doing it wrong! )
Not a woman, so just putting that out there. But I would assume, as with a lot of these types of organizations, you get what you put into it. For some people, it might just be the best opportunity they have at networking (especially with WFH being so prevalent). For others, it might be a way to keep a finger on the pulse of latest market trends in the field or industry. And yet others may simply use it for no other purpose than to meander and socialize.
My daughter belonged to several while in college with a mixed bag of results. I think she found the best results in being active in a traditional professional society vs a women's only support group. I think being active with your peers regardless of sex creates opportunities for all. You remember those folks who were on a committee with you.
I've retired from the tech sector. While I was a working software developer, I took advantage of several opportunities to join organizations purportedly designed to support women in non-traditional fields, as well as supposedly helping women advance in their careers.
I can say they were pretty much all a waste of time and money.
I'm wondering if anyone on this board found value in one of these organizations, and what that value was.
I found them mostly to be marketing platforms for sales people with an agenda, usually led by clueless marketing people, or people who wanted to use it as a platform to advance their own careers.
Maybe I just didn't know how to work the system?
(that is such a female thing to do - assume I was the person doing it wrong! )
What were your expectations? I've seen such orgs offer career info, work at the college level, facilitate mentoring and networking.
What were you looking for that you didn't see or get?
I don't know about women's career organizations, but churches depend on women to get the jobs done. Single males like me who attend church on a regular basis are rare.
My daughter belonged to several while in college with a mixed bag of results. I think she found the best results in being active in a traditional professional society vs a women's only support group. I think being active with your peers regardless of sex creates opportunities for all. You remember those folks who were on a committee with you.
Agree with this. What ends up mattering more is that you participate in your chosen field.
When I first started out in my chosen field it was dominated by men though that's not the case now. I felt from the beginning that gender was just a personal detail. Didn't have much to do with the work. I still feel that way. If you can't empower yourself, that's a problem regardless what gender you happen to be. Every once in a while I'd see announcements or flyers about professional women's organizations pop up. I did know women who joined them, but in conversations with them about it, I often got the feeling they didn't really offer anything other than I had already gained from doing the work, doing my own networking, being professional, and trying to be inclusive from the get go. Maybe there are women who don't develop those professional abilities without mentoring. Just didn't happen to be one of them.
I found them mostly to be marketing platforms for sales people with an agenda, usually led by clueless marketing people, or people who wanted to use it as a platform to advance their own careers.
That's terrible but not entirely unanticipated....My former supervisor said something similar.
"[Race] in... " unfortunately has been a lackluster experience as well.
Women are competitive with each other to the point of throwing each other under the bus whenever it benefits them. These "women in" networks are a joke. They don't support other women at all. They will put on fake smiles and pretend to get along, but it does not transfer to the work environment. My wife had a manager who refused to share her network and that is what it's supposed to be about.
(that is such a female thing to do - assume I was the person doing it wrong! )
I believe at one time, these special interest groups just for women served a purpose and had good intentions. But I see few of them active in that sort of situation. For example, if you are software developer look to network with software development situations in general not those designed especially for women. I guess in the workplace I see so many women in positions of management, that I don't know if they really need the help in 2021. I think it greatly depends on the field and the companies you are working at. I think for young women, such as in school it might be helpful to them.
So-called networking events in general are kind of a waste of time. Those are usually full of people ready to hand you their business card and want to setup a time to sell you something you don't need. What you really need to do is do networking through specific groups of things that interest you.
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