Perficient’s Post

The most important thing I learned from working with Women Who Code after almost a decade is this: we are the ones who build and maintain community -- not external organizations. We don't need permission to build our own communities, to build ways to engage with each other, we can just DO IT ourselves! One of the things I loved about the WWC model for many years is that it was a very loose, non-hierarchical organizational structure: everyone had their own interest or event and managed that, and if a problem arose, we came together to solve it. This gave everyone the chance to get involved at a level that worked for them, and to invest in or take out as much as they needed. I started working with WWC in 2015 when I was post-bootcamp, anxiously looking for my first tech job, and desperate for community. The past 9 years have been an incredible series of lessons and gifts about how powerful community can be for so many reasons, and how that community can exist as a part of, or in spite of, external forces. I'm ever grateful for the chance to learn and grow with this community, but even more excited to see what my fellow organizers and I can continue to bring to the Austin community moving forward. Any Austin folks who'd like to chat about joining our events, community Slack (sign up here: https://rb.gy/4hncqk) or sponsoring events feel free to reach out to me directly and I'm happy to figure out how to accommodate, and moving forward will be hopefully posting more about Austin-area events. If any WWC alums are interested in continuing to discuss community organizing someone set up a new group, WWC Organizer Alumni, and we can see you there. Happy organizing!

Couldn’t attend our recent Working Moms event? Check out Perficient’s blog post for our highlights in the post below. One thing that was unanimous despite our unique challenges and paths of motherhood: “They encouraged other working moms to advocate for themselves, seek out mentorship, and continue to pursue their career goals without hesitation. A key message from the panel was that you can’t and should not being trying to “do it all.”” #WomenInTech #WorkingMoms #ProudlyPerficient #Perficient #CareerPanel

It's disheartening to hear about the closure of an awesome company dedicated to supporting women in the tech industry. This news highlights the ongoing challenges that women face in this field, from underrepresentation to systemic barriers. It's crucial that we continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, not just as a matter of social justice, but also because diverse teams drive *innovation* and *creativity*. While the closure of Women Who Code is undoubtedly a setback, it shouldn't deter us from our collective efforts to create a more inclusive tech community. We need to support existing initiatives, foster mentorship opportunities, and advocate for policies that promote gender equality in the industry. So here's to continuing to BE Women Who Code!! Our work is not done!

If you’re a connection looking to break into tech, needing help with a job search, or want to help refer more women in tech, join our slack! Also follow the WomEngineers page for more updates, stories, and more! 👇🏻 Women represent a mere 27% of people employed in tech, and as you break it down by ethnicity and specialization, it gets more disproportionate with Black women only taking up roughly 9% of roles and Hispanic women taking up only 6%. The only way we change the game is by building a network of people who are willing to change mindsets, educate themselves and others, and make direct referrals. We got this! ✊🏻⚡️ Statistics: https://lnkd.in/dzV8BGmS #womenempoweringwomen #womenintech #allyship #diversityequityinclusion #stem #stemcareers #techcareers #changeisgood

The newest episode of Roadmap is here for International Women's Day. Join Alice Montgomery, Harriet Taylor, and Neelam Kediyal as they chat openly about their journeys as software engineers. Discover why IWD matters to them and get insights into their experiences as women in software engineering. Link in the comments. #accelerateprogress #iwd2024 #womenintech

What is one piece of advice you would give to anyone wanting to pursue a career in tech? 👏 You just have to hear what Dovile Noreike, Product Owner at Convious, has to say 👏 … Did you know?💡Only 16.9% of women working in tech reported receiving a promotion or advancement from their current employer. In honor of International Women's Day, let's shine a spotlight on the incredible women who are breaking barriers and making waves in the tech industry! From coding wizards to visionary leaders, women are driving innovation and shaping the future of technology. #IWD2024 #InspireInclusion #Saas #technology

This is unnecessary and sad in 2024. Women Who Code are having to close their doors. And here's why this is devastating news. The world needs women, femmes and thems of all kinds, their diverse perspectives at the helm of tech as a critical force that shapes our world every day! It was a genuine community for technologists that have delivered more than 20 thousand community-led events for creators, coders, engineers, data scientists - anyone navigating the industry. The closure is mainly due to funding challenges for vital function. This just increases the spotlight on the fact that even though it's 2024, investment in women led and focussed organisations, initiatives aimed at bringing more women into the industry, is just not a priority. If you want to help make change for women and non binary people all over the world - I urge you to pay any support you have received forwards regardless of your gender. #InvestInWomen #womenintech #diversityintech #mumsintech #UNWomen #payitforwards

A sharp pullback in funding is killing non-profits focused on advancing DEI in technology. And we’re already paying for it. It leaves me wondering what has changed so drastically that corporations no longer see these expenditures for what they are - a necessary investment in the technology industry's future. Organizations like Women Who Code and PDX Women in Tech (PDXWIT) connect underrepresented groups to the resources they need to start or grow a career in technology. Without them, we limit the options available to the next generation of technology leaders and innovators. Support for community organizations may seem like a logical place to make cuts, but we do so at our peril. Like layoffs, this intervention sacrifices the industry's long-term health for dubious short-term benefits. This trend is worrying. We can and need to do better.

It is SO difficult for non-profits in the current economic environment. Women Who Code's closure is a huge blow towards trying to make tech, and indeed accessing skills and jobs within it, a more diverse and inclusive space By their nature, charities are always going to ask for donations. Between the cost of living crisis, inflation and instability across the world, a lot of non-profits really mean it when they say they need your financial help, now. If you want to support causes close to your heart, the time is now! #nonprofit #diversityandinclusion #womenwhocode

We've only been building in tech for about a year, so I have limited datapoints to make any conclusions but I am going to share what I have seen so far. Out of ~3600 applicants for our 8 posted engineering roles since the beginning, only 242 have been women, with our recent job post attracting less than 5% female applicants out of 1200. This is troubling on a lot of fronts. To compound this issue, a key org, Women Who Code that was fighting the good fight to promote programming among women is shutting down. Their departure is a huge blow to this cause. At Finofo, we want to build with women. I want to ask other builders in tech what they are seeing - is this a larger issue?