November 2008

Why every IT woman can benefit from a peer network

When I started college at Bowling Green State University in the fall of 1978, I was among a large group of women majoring in computer science. Although today there are far fewer women nationwide who choose that field, at the time about 40 to 50 percent of the students in my class were female. The women's movement was alive and well, and the demand for computer programmers was so high that employers didn't care what gender you were. The year I graduated, computer science programs nationwide reported record numbers of female graduates.

The climate for women in IT remained strong as I entered the field as a computer programmer in the early 1980s. However, as I worked my way up the IT chain, things began to change. I discovered that I was among only a handful of women in the top ranks, and it wasn't uncommon to be the only woman in a meeting. I began to notice that the camaraderie I once shared with my female colleagues just wasn't the same with my male co-workers. I could still share ideas with men, but there were some topics I didn't feel comfortable discussing, such as juggling child care responsibilities or finding time to work out at the gym. I figured this was just one of the prices that had to be paid for success in IT.

Despite this, I neglected seeking out the company of other women in the field. I figured I simply didn't have the time and my career felt so stable that I never thought I might move to a different company or pursue a new field. But several years later, I was introduced to the concept of a peer networking group and the power it could hold for women. There are a variety of kinds, but I've become most familiar with a few specific types and the benefits that can be gained from each.

1. Formal networking groups.  These organized groups meet regularly and provide a career-oriented agenda and an excellent way to make contacts in the industry. There are a variety of local, regional, national and international groups in IT from which to choose. I belong to Women in Technology International and Women & Hi Tech, a central Indiana-based group. Joining formal groups allows you to meet amazing and powerful women and hear from some of the top women IT leaders in the field. The leadership opportunities within the group also are a great benefit. Any formal networking group is worthwhile, but groups designed for women explore topics from a female point of view. Topics such as how best to create a work-life balance if you are working as a 70-hour-a week CIO often take on an entirely different meaning for women than for men.

2. Informal networking groups. These aren't part of an established organization and can meet on whatever kind of schedule the members choose. I am part of a group that formed unexpectedly when one of its members was writing an article about high-powered women in IT. She wanted to get a group of senior women in IT in Indianapolis together to talk over dinner, and we enjoyed the conversation so much that more than six years later we still meet and have invited other women to join in. We don't have an agenda, but instead we talk about anything on our minds — job, dreams, families, hobbies, whatever. Some members are still in IT, and some, like me, have moved to other careers. The members have all been in the trenches and can understand the challenges, frustrations and rewards of careers as CIOs. We feel comfortable sharing ideas and getting advice on jobs and even on how and why to change careers. I can't tell you how important my group was to me when I made my latest career change from CIO to professor. Even though we are all busy professionals, we make our dinner meetings a priority.

3. Affinity groups. These types of networks are made up of people at your company who share a common interest, not necessarily the same type of job. When I was vice president of information technology and CIO at Cummins, I led a group that included all the women from the company — executives, managers, programmers, human resources professionals, marketers and secretaries. I had the opportunity to connect with women I might never have met in the course of my job as an executive. Recently, I was reconnected with a marketing and HR employee at Cummins whom I'd met in the affinity group, and, thanks to her, we are helping to develop a science camp co-sponsored by Purdue and Cummins. Affinity groups also allow women who don't have management roles to take on more responsibility in the organization. These groups can be especially beneficial to those looking to move into a different assignment in the company or perhaps a different career either within or outside the company. Even if you have no intention of leaving your job, affinity groups make it easier to make contacts on the inside to share ideas and get things done.

4. One-on-one mentoring. Even though having a mentor — or being a mentor — isn't really considered a peer network, I would highly recommend either role. Each is rewarding in its own way, both personally and professionally. I've served as a mentor to both men and women through the years — in formal and informal capacities — and am still contacted by young people seeking career advice. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to make the career move to academia was to have the chance to work closer with, and offer my insights to, young people. Oddly enough, although I have had several mentors throughout my career, none has been a woman. One of the most significant was a male high school teacher who taught a computer class. I worked for him grading papers. (He was legally blind.) He had worked at IBM in the 1950s and was always talking about how computer careers were rewarding and lucrative. He convinced me that computers would be a good career for me, which led me to reject the guidance counselor's advice to go to vocational school and instead apply to college. He even assisted me with the application and financial aid process. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Although many women in IT (especially in the upper ranks) have very little spare time, I've found that peer networks are worth the time you invest in them. For me, I've always felt that I get much more out of these groups than I put in.

My advice as a former CIO is simple: Seek out groups, and if you don't find one you like, start one of your own. Being part of a peer networking group might be the best career move you ever make.

Gail Farnsley, formerly vice president of information technology and CIO at Cummins Inc., is a visiting professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University. She was named as one of Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2008. She can be reached at gfarnsley@purdue.edu.

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