Top IT student breaks gender barriers
Carly Tolson never saw her achievement as the top student in the Bachelor of Computer Systems (Networking) at Box Hill Institute as a win for gender equality, but in the male-dominated world of computing many could see her award as just that.
Despite the diversity of job opportunities in Information Technology (IT), the number of young women completing IT courses is decreasing.
Carly believes this under-representation of females is due to the different way women relate to their computer.
“I think women, often see computers as a tool which can get a job done, whereas I’ve always loved to just play around on them. I’ve never seen them as just tools; instead I’ve always seen computing as a creative process. It’s a shame more women are not seeing the opportunities the IT industry offers,” said Carly.
Carly now works as a network engineer contracting through IBM to the ANZ bank. The gender imbalance continues in the workforce, where she is one of only a few female employees in that field.
“Networking is definitely a challenge, and it might not be for everyone. But within my course and at work, I’ve never found being a female to work against me, but instead I’ve only found encouragement amongst my colleagues,” said Carly.
20 May 2008
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