> Instead, we talk about how sexism is the biggest problem. Sure, sexism might be annoying, but in the west, it is hardly something that creates a genuine barrier for women.
This is something I've heard a lot of talented young women say at the beginning of their careers. With all due respect... give it a few years.
Sexism plays out in really subtle ways, often unconsciously. After a while though you start to notice patterns: who is hired and promoted, who is mentored and fast-tracked, which people are given high-profile projects and which aren't, who is noticed by leadership and who isn't.
You'll also become more aware of aggregate effects. I.e., "because boss at company X mentored me, I was able to get a senior position at company Y, which paved the way to my current job at fast-growing company Z."
That said, as an individual woman in the industry, devoting much energy to thinking about sexism is a losing game. In fact I think it's better to pretend it doesn't exist and focus on what you can control: the quality of your work, your skills, relationships with coworkers, and so on.
This is something I've heard a lot of talented young women say at the beginning of their careers. With all due respect... give it a few years.
Sexism plays out in really subtle ways, often unconsciously. After a while though you start to notice patterns: who is hired and promoted, who is mentored and fast-tracked, which people are given high-profile projects and which aren't, who is noticed by leadership and who isn't.
You'll also become more aware of aggregate effects. I.e., "because boss at company X mentored me, I was able to get a senior position at company Y, which paved the way to my current job at fast-growing company Z."
That said, as an individual woman in the industry, devoting much energy to thinking about sexism is a losing game. In fact I think it's better to pretend it doesn't exist and focus on what you can control: the quality of your work, your skills, relationships with coworkers, and so on.