Women of Color in Tech

May 15, 2020
In her debut business book, Tedrick shares her experiences as a woman of color working in technology and offers guidance for others looking to pursue similar career paths. Tedrick describes the variety of work and workplaces that fall under the heading of "technology," making it clear that careers in technology extend well beyond writing code at Google and Facebook. She details the variety of jobs available--including data science, computer networking, cybersecurity, and technical sales, among many others--and lists the education and certification readers will likely need for each type of job. The guide provides copious links to industry organizations, training resources, and further reading and covers standard job hunting and career development aspects like writing a resume, building a LinkedIn profile, networking, and negotiating salaries. The author recounts particular challenges that women and people of color face in the workplace and in technology roles--offering stories of how she has dealt with microaggressions, hostility, and dismissiveness. She helpfully outlines how she moved past the setbacks to pursue success and includes advice from other women of color. The book is most valuable in its close focus on the realities of the tech world, providing detailed information in a well-organized format about the many options that go far beyond coding, like project management and user experience design. Tedrick's writing is clear and readable ("Much of a UX designer's time is spent making sure that they understand the needs of both the business and the end user of the product or service they're working on"), making this a solid resource for readers without specialized knowledge of the industry. While these lessons are valuable for anyone exploring a tech career, addressing the needs of women of color gives Tedrick a unique hook and sets the book apart from the rest of the career development pack. Solid guidance from a woman who has made her mark in a technical role.

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