S. Martin

Colorado

Software Engineer

I commented under the original story, but I wanted to address the woman who felt like she still had to prove herself every day even after 8 years. Yep, that's the nature of the business. I am a male software engineer, and I have to keep proving myself to my company every day even after 21 years in the industry.

The reason is endemic to the industry: Things change every day, innovation, new competition, faster, better, smarter ways to do things are being invented literally every hour of every day in high tech. It doesn't matter whether you are the newest start up or you are Microsoft, you will be forced to prove that you deserve to survive, or you will be left in the dust.

I'm not saying this is good for the employees. On the contrary, it makes for a very high stress environment. I've risen the ranks of management to the upper levels, and today I am an individual contributor by choice. I realized a good many years ago that the merry-go-round will keep going round even if I am not trying to drive it.

Maybe I've finally gotten smart, like my female counterparts.