Today I spoke with a female Senior Software Engineer, to ask her about her 15 year history at her company, what encouraged her to stay, and what she had to overcome as a woman in a male dominated environment. I was looking for clues that could help improve retention across the pond where I work. One thing she mentioned several times was how intimidated she was by the 9 men and no other women in her meetings. I understand the feeling. When I transitioned from a contractor to a full time Software Engineer at my company, the celebratory team lunch consisted of over a dozen men, and myself. At first I didn’t even think about being the only woman at the table enjoying some fabulous sushi, until my boss leaned over and quietly apologized that the only other woman on the team couldn’t make it. Suddenly I was very self-conscious. The conversation with my associate in the UK reminded me of this great TED talk on how we need to be brave.
Our STEM Girls 