They say that female programmers are a special and somewhere even specific clan, the young ladies belonging to which are completely different from the fair sex employed in any other profession. Are these claims justified, and what is the average female programmer really like?
There are many jokes and anecdotes, the protagonists of which are female programmers. Their main meaning boils down to the fact that belonging to the weaker sex and the ability to program are incompatible things. In fact, today there are many girls among those who are engaged in work in the field of information technology, and their number is increasing every year. What is a good girl-programmer and what distinguishes her from girls more familiar to the weaker sex profession?
Pros of a female programmer
For a young man who is seriously into programming, a girl belonging to the same profession is almost the perfect match. Firstly, they will always have something to talk about, and from these conversations some new and non-standard solution to a particular work situation may appear, which will be successfully applied in the professional sphere of a guy or a girl. Secondly, the logic of the female programmer is in many cases close to the male one, and this circumstance contributes to an unprecedented mutual understanding in the pair. Such a young lady will not make a scandal for her boyfriend because he did not have time to buy food from the list she left - most likely, they will just order pizza for dinner.
The technical mindset of a girl-programmer makes her very independent and practical in many everyday matters, which is one of her competitive advantages over weak and pampered young ladies. In addition to this, such a profession does not mean necessarily being in the office from 9 to 6 - in many cases, a girl programmer can work remotely. This not only allows her to earn a living as a freelance while being anywhere in the world, but also helps to maintain her usual income and lifestyle in those months, for example, when she is on maternity leave.
What does a typical female programmer look like?
Bearded anecdotes about girls-programmers tell that such young ladies, for the most part, do not take care of themselves, are overweight and have dirty hair, wear only sweaters and jeans, and are also completely unable to cook food on their own. The only thing from this list that can be attributed to truthful information is jeans. Think for yourself, will it be convenient to stretch the twisted pair under the tables, while being in a mini dress and heels?
Programming girls wear makeup, play sports, get married, have children and take care of their families - just like young ladies in other professions. Thus, to say that a girl-programmer is somehow radically different from her peers means at least being cunning.
