♫♪ Bringin’ sexy back…to I.T.♪♫

Are Women Too Sexy for I.T.?

By Mike Nizza

Viviane Reding, the European Union’s telecommunications commissioner, has thousands upon thousands of jobs to fill in the next few years and a huge chunk of the population completely uninterested in applying. Her solution? Open a campaign to prove that the information technology industry isn’t just for ‘’geeky’’ people.

Her main target is women, who should “prepare for a job in the I.T. sector, and not leave this entirely to their male colleagues,” she said while citing the following statistics, courtesy of IDG News Service:

Women accounted for 58 percent of all graduates in the EU in 2004, up from 55 percent in 1998. However, the proportion of female computer science graduates fell by 4 percent during the same period.

Last Thursday, she was more explicit, saying “I.T. jobs can be very sexy indeed.”

The Lede sought confirmation of that statement from Slashdot, but the leader in “News for Nerds” was busy debating several other stories, including “Intel Confirms It Will Ship 160GB Flash Drives.”

Open Letter to a Candidate

If you’re a technologist, chances are at some point in your career you’ve dealt with a recruiter. With your unique preferences and experiences, I’d be hard-pressed to assume that every interaction you’ve had with a recruiter was a positive one. This is precisely why I’m so glad you’ve chanced upon my blog. Now that you’re here, allow me to tell you a bit about myself.

Technology is my passion. I don’t use it as a measure of convenience (although it certainly simplifies my life). It’s much deeper than that for me. I love watching my Gen X contemporaries, along with the Millenials entering the work force today, continuously accelerate the momentum of innovation by devising alternative methods of performing traditional tasks.  The ever-diminishing gap between information technology and human communication is infinitely fascinating to me!  I’m currently in a degree program for eBusiness Management, not because I have all the spare time in the world to take this on (!), but because I want to know what you know, and be able to do what you do… not in a superficial “I know all the buzzwords, I can talk the talk” way, but in an educated, informed way that celebrates our shared appreciation for I.T.  Without this foundation of reciprocal knowledge and interest in technology, I’d feel like a poser calling myself your agent.

I’m a recruiter not because it pays my bills, but because I click with people like you.  I’ve been in I.T. since before Y2K.  I’ve placed people when the market was up, and have managed to continue finding jobs for people in a downturn.  I am able to find you the job you really want because I take the time to understand what you excel at and what brings you joy, not just what you’ve been doing to pay your bills.  You are not “inventory” to me.  When we determine that I am to represent you, you become a part of my community, which means you’ll always have me in your corner.  (I am some of the best P.R. you’ll ever receive!)

Thank you for stopping by and for taking a minute to read about me!