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July 1, 2005
I want to be a sellout, mommy!
Professional speaking, when it comes to what I want to do for the rest of my life, I *still* have no idea. Had you asked me when I was fourteen, I would have had an answer, sort of. I would have said "I do not want to sit behind a desk for the rest of my life". I was intent on saving the world back then, I just couldn't figure out how I'd get paid.
I started at Icon, CMT when I was in my early 20's. I was the only woman (girl) in the IS department. There were female programmers, and female managers, but in the IS department, I was the only one. After I had left Icon, a system had been put in place: women would come in as receptionist, move up to help desk, and get some level of certification. I was proud to make the way for others after me, and I had felt like a compromise had been reached between the old me, and the one that realized that what you do for a living, is not who you are.
It's years later and I am back in school, finishing up the education that I left behind for Icon. I just had an interview at another company in Jersey, which is about 2 tasks behind 'blow hole in the back of my head' on my ToDo list. The company allows a work schedule which will work with school, even though it means getting up at an hour in the morning I have never seen. The CTO and I were talking about the place, and after going over salary, health benefits (both of which are fair, but not excellent) he told me (as we were walking to the bus) that the CEO of the company is a bit of an old fashioned fellah, and the idea of a woman being in a position of power in the company concerned him. I felt the fire start in me, I was ready to be enraged, fight for my rights, prove myself to this 'ol dinosaur, and then the CTO tells me I would be the only woman in a powerful position, making almost as much money as the CTO, and my coming on would probably open up the doors for more women to hold positions of influence in this company.
Can it be done? Can you make money and still change the world? The CTO mentioned that this wasn't supposed to be a selling point, but truth be told, this was the best point I had heard about the company yet.
Maybe this is another compromise, maybe I can reduce my pay a mere 2-3K and open up some old, dodgy republicans eyes ( the CEO's office had a Bush-Cheney sticker, I nearly ran out but then I found out it was not the CTO's office ).
I think maybe, I can change the world and make a living.
Posted by lysa at July 1, 2005 4:36 PM
Comments
definitely. you have to be in the system to change the system, or else your beliefs would fall on deaf ears.
But a small company in Jersey that has a CEO that supports Bush-Cheney and a CTO that fears women in high positions? In a company that hosts games online??? Seems fishy to me...
Posted by: S at July 1, 2005 5:09 PM