(NetApp’s Julie Parrish addresses conference)
Encouraging women to get into IT and have a long career has been a problem since the beginning of the industry.
Yesterday at Microsoft’s international partners conference in Houston two who have risen to senior positions told a women in IT luncheon that the opportunities are bright, reports ITWC assistant editor Jeff Jedras.
Julie Parrish, chief marketing officer for network storage provider NetApp, acknowledged that women have challenges to face, including the fact that IT is a male-dominated industry. But, she added, that doesn’t mean they have to hang out at a bar. Develop one-to-one relationships instead, she said.
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Nor, she said, do women have to be Superwomen and be perfect in all areas. On the other hand, playing on the superhero theme, she admitted that sometimes woman do have to raise a Bat-shield.
This is an industry in constant upheaval – outsourcing and cloud computing are making it difficult for all to plan long-term careers. Parrish’s counsel – along with those of Microsoft’s Julie Bennani, who introduced her – is worth reading.