Technical Guru from Birth

Kristine Daebler has been a programmer for Quadrant Software, a provider of document management software for the iSeries, for nearly two decades. She states that she has always been attracted to the science and math fields and decided in high school, where she was already learning RPG, that she wanted to be a programmer. She was one of the few women she knew who had these interests.

"I always grew up thinking I was unusual for a woman because I was more logical and less creative. My major in college was computer science and my minor was math, and that was unusual for a woman," she says. But once Daebler entered the IT field, no one ever made her feel out of place. She states, however, that this may not be the case for women trying to move up the corporate ladder, who may suffer, not necessarily because of sexism, but because of the high-pressure demands of having an IT job. For example, she mentions that even a six-month hiatus could have serious repercussions because programming languages are constantly changing.

While Quadrant Software supports employee efforts in balancing work and family, Daebler admits that she has struggled at times and has had to make a conscious decision regarding her career path. "If I really wanted to move up the ladder, I would have had to put far more time into my career than I was willing to do. I wasn't willing to take any more time away from my children, and that's probably stopping a lot of [other] women as well."

"Women don't naturally gravitate towards this field, and they are not encouraged to gravitate to this field. When they do enter, it's difficult to stay because the field is very demanding," Daebler continues.

While she does not recall ever having a female IT boss, she believes that it is a direct result of the lack of women entering the field, and she strongly believes that hard work can pay off.

"My advice to young women in IT is if you really want to advance your career, you have to put off having a family until later...unless, of course, you don't mind spending a lot of time away from your children. Also, keep educating yourself, keep going to class, reading trade magazines, and finding out what's new."

Problem Solving Through Diversity

Maria DeGiglio has over 20 years of experience within the IT world. From IT trainer to IT analyst, she has done it all. Her diverse skills and drive have allowed her become an important player in the field.

Currently, she is a consultant, working with Experture LLC. She is an accomplished author and writes a monthly column for MC Press Online. And she is an IT project manager for Visiting Nurse Service of New York. As if this isn't enough, she is also pursuing a master's degree in Healthcare Advocacy at Sarah Lawrence College.

DeGiglio did not start off in IT. She graduated with a degree in anthropology and was only first introduced to the IT field in the 1980s while working in an accounting firm in New York. This, however, never deterred her from entering the IT field. In fact, she believes that the industry's ability to attract an eclectic crowd has been extremely beneficial to its development.

"When the momentum started with the PC revolution, a lot of people from various walks of life and those that weren't 'scientifically trained' brought to it a great deal of imagination that revolutionized the whole movement. You had different people with different ideas. Instead of saying 'why?' people were saying 'why not?' "

She states that throughout her 20+ years in IT, she never felt as though she was treated differently because she was a woman, and she credits the industry with providing an equal playing ground.

"We were dealing with a lot of other women that were professionals. Whether they were CPAs or whether they were product managers or other executives, I never felt discriminated against because I was a woman. The computer industry was opposite to that. It provided a level playing field for everybody."

She does state that there were not many women in the field when she started, but she feels as though this has changed dramatically, particularly at the management level. This she believes is a natural occurrence, given that women bring important skills to the industry.

"This field has burgeoned well over the years. A lot of it has had to do with women coming into IT and having a very different perspective. There are many skills, that especially I think women have, that are so very important to the field, like project management skills and attention to detail."

Her advice to women entering the field is to learn as much as they can about how business works—both in general and in the specific industry vertical in which they are working—so that they can provide better solutions to their clients. She also stresses the importance of developing strong communication skills and the ability to write clearly and persuasively.

The Future

Women like Daebler and DeGiglio have opened the path for women now entering the IT field. While both claim that their gender was never a hindrance, numerous studies have shown that the IT world is having a hard time attracting and retaining women. Given the many benefits diversity brings to the business world, it would behoove IT companies to start recognizing problems within their own organizations and proposing effective ways to encourage and help women within the field.

Sandy Ordonez is a Communication Specialist and Web Content Editor for Quadrant Software. Sandra is responsible for handling the company's PR initiatives and for writing all marketing content. She comes to the iSeries industry with five years of New Media experience. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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