Women of Color in Tech – A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators

Foreword xxiii Introduction xxv Chapter 1 The Current State of Women of Color in Tech 1 The Realities 1 What’s Going On? 3 Early Childhood 4 Primary, Middle, and High School 5 College 6 The Workplace 8 Why You Should Be Here 10 My Journey to Tech 10 It’s (Slowly) Getting Better 12 Support 13 Number of Job Opportunities 14 Pay 15 It’s Fun 15 Opportunities to Help Others 16 We Need You! 16 Tech Career Misconceptions 17 Tech Careers Require Constant, Hands-On Programming 18 All Tech Careers Require a Four-Year Degree 18 All Tech Careers Require Studying Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Another Specific Field 18 All Tech Careers Pay a Ton of Money 19 Tech Careers Exist Only at Top Tech Companies 20 Tech Careers Are Only for People with Certain Backgrounds, Grades, Etc. 21 Creating a Blueprint 25 Summary 26 Chapter 2 The Different Flavors of Tech Careers 27 Business Analysis 29 What They Do 29 Top Skills Needed 31 Educational Requirements 31 For Additional Information 32 Consulting 32 What They Do 33 Top Skills Needed 34 Educational Requirements 35 For Additional Information 35 Computer Networking 36 What They Do 37 Top Skills 37 Educational Requirements 38 For Additional Information 38 Data Science 39 What They Do 40 Top Skills 40 Educational Requirements 41 For Additional Information 41 Information Security 42 What They Do 42 Top Skills 44 Educational Requirements 44 For Additional Information 45 Product Management 45 What They Do 46 Top Skills 46 Educational Requirements 47 For Additional Information 47 Project Management 47 What They Do 48 Top Skills 49 Educational Requirements 49 For Additional Information 50 Software Development and Engineering 50 What They Do 51 Top Skills 52 Educational Requirements 53 For Additional Information 53 Technical Sales 53 What They Do 54 Top Skills 54 Educational Requirements 55 For Additional Information 55 Technical Support 55 What They Do 56 Top Skills 56 Educational Requirements 57 For Additional Information 57 User Experience Design 57 What They Do 58 Top Skills 59 Educational Requirements 60 For Additional Information 60 Web Design 60 What They Do 61 Top Skills 61 Educational Requirements 61 For Additional Information 62 Where Do You Fit In? 62 What Are Your Strengths and Your Weaknesses? 62 What Do You Value? 63 What Are Your Interests? 65 Summary 65 Chapter 3 Industry and Other Options 67 Advertising and Marketing 68 Civics and Public Interest 69 Construction and Manufacturing 71 Education 73 Finance 75 Healthcare 77 The US Government 79 On Your Own: Entrepreneurism 82 What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur 83 Getting Started 84 Research Your Market 84 Write a (Solid) Business Plan 85 Estimate Initial Costs 86 Determine Sources of Initial Funding 86 Keep Going or Stop? 88 Summary 89 Chapter 4 Emerging Technologies 91 What is an Emerging Technology? 91 The Future of Work 92 Artificial Intelligence 93 The Difference Between Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning 94 Why Does It Matter? 95 Where Can I Learn More? 96 Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality 97 Why Does It Matter? 98 Where Can I Learn More? 99 Blockchain 99 Why Does It Matter? 101 Where Can I Learn More? 102 Cloud Computing 102 Service Models 104 Deployment Models 106 Why Does It Matter? 106 Where Can I Learn More? 107 Internet of Things 108 Why Does It Matter? 109 Where Can I Learn More? 110 3D Printing 110 Why Does It Matter? 111 Where Can I Learn More? 112 Keeping Up with Technology Trends 112 Information Sources 113 Tools 114 Summary 115 Chapter 5 Building Your Network 117 The Importance of Building Your Network 117 Where to Network 119 Mentoring 121 Where to Find Mentors 121 Blueprints for a Beneficial Mentoring Relationship 121 You’ve Found a Mentor—Now What? 124 Listen, This Isn’t Working Out 125 You Need a Sponsor, Not a Mentor 126 Overcoming Social Anxiety 127 Strengthening Your Connections 129 Summary 130 Chapter 6 Building Your Skills 131 Skills Gap Analysis: Where Do You Need to Be? 131 Exception 1 133 Exception 2 133 Formal Education (Is It Worth It?) 133 Trade Schools 135 Massive Online Open Courses 137 Boot Camps 138 Hackathons 139 Conferences and Seminars 140 Internships, Externships, and Co-ops 141 Volunteering 143 Certifications 144 Do You Need Certification? 145 How to Pay for Skills Training 146 Loans 146 Student Loans 146 Personal Loans 147 Credit and Charge Cards 147 Use Credit Responsibly and Sparingly 148 Grants and Scholarships 148 Tuition Reimbursement 149 Deferred Tuition Plans and Income Share Agreements 150 Crowdfunding 151 Summary 152 Chapter 7 Demonstrating Your Skills 153 Building Your Resume(s) 153 Chronological 154 Functional 155 Combination 156 What Every Resume Must Have 157 The Heading 158 The Body 158 What You Can Leave Out 162 First Impressions Matter 165 Additional Tips and Resources for Resume Writing 166 LinkedIn 169 The Difference between LinkedIn and Your Resume 170 Creating a LinkedIn Profile 171 Essential Elements of a LinkedIn Profile 171 Additional LinkedIn Tips 174 Writing 175 Online Publishing Platforms 175 Academic and Professional Journals 176 Public Speaking 177 Public Speaking Misconceptions 178 Public Speaking Basics 178 Where to Find Speaking Opportunities 180 Other Creative Ways to Show What You Know 181 GitHub 181 Personal Websites 182 Building Your Interviewing Skills 184 Becoming a Better Interviewee 185 Summary 187 Chapter 8 Job Offers and Negotiating Compensation 189 A Cautionary Tale (or, Don’t Do This!) 189 Understanding Compensation and Salary 191 Compensation 191 Salary 192 The Job Offer Process 193 Evaluating a Job Offer 194 Do You Like the Job and This Company? 195 Are Your “Must Haves” Addressed? 196 Is the Salary Offered Fair? 197 Why Negotiate Your Job Offer? 199 More of What You Want, Now 199 Solidify Your Negotiation Skills 199 Show Employers You Know Your Value 199 There Are Few Downsides to Asking 199 You May Not Get as Much Later 200 You’ll Hurt Your Finances in the Long Run 201 Preparing to Negotiate 201 Negotiation Dos and Don’ts 202 You Didn’t Negotiate! Is It Too Late? 205 Additional Resources 205 Final Thoughts—It’s Okay to Want (and Ask for) Money 206 Summary 207 Chapter 9 When Times Get Tough 209 The Need for Grid 209 The Problem with “Twice as Good” 212 Failure 213 Impostor Syndrome 216 Bias 218 Tokenism and Being “The Only” 221 Bullying 222 Lack of Support and Help 223 The Importance of Mental Health 226 Allies and When They Fall Short 228 The Need for Allyship 228 Allies Are Human 229 Summary 230 Chapter 10 The Importance and Joy of Giving Back 233 Why Give Back 233 You Make a Difference 233 Helping Others See and Know What’s Possible 234 Great Rewards 235 Building Relationships 237 Coping with a Bad Day 237 You’ve Been in Their Shoes 238 How to Give Back 239 Summary 241 Index 243