We love to read profiles on women in technology. Even more so when those women push themselves even further to succeed as a result of working in an industry dominated by men. Read on for Sarah Rosenbach’s story.
“I never saw myself so much as a minority rather an outsider. It just made me have to be creative to win over the typically male technical programmers and engineers to my way of thinking,” she told ZDNet. “I think just approaching things in a more human way worked best. Making it about common goals and great user experience helps bring people together.”
Rosenbach worked in public arts in the 1990s and found herself a “de facto programmer” for the people she was working for. “I loved the detective-like aspects of coding and soon I moved to the visual, user-interface side. Then on to product development both for digital and physical products,” she said. “I recently started a company, appSmitten with two former colleagues offering app recommendations for iPhone, Androids and iPads.”
When asked what advice she would give a young woman interested in a career in tech, Rosenbach suggested not listening to others who say you don’t belong in the field. “Most likely their words are stemming from their own insecurities,” also suggesting doing volunteer work for a team you respect.
She continued, “The technical opportunities will always be there, but it is harder to find people to work with that you like and can learn from. If you are questioning the job you are in, try something else. Experiment. See what things you do like to do. Make up your own projects. If you aren’t happy, move on, there are plenty of opportunities out there if you open yourself to them.”
(via ZDNet)
Published: Feb 13, 2012 04:15 pm