Many people claim to be ‘in tech.’ There is a prestigious connotation about it. It means being at the cutting edge of something great, being in demand and desirable, and being well-off among other positives associated with the tech industry. The tech industry continues to boom, with USA Today reporting that 5 major tech companies hold a third of all US cash, not financial firms! No wonder people want to be associated with tech!
My definition of someone in tech is narrow. I believe it is a person who has a technical background( science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) who directly uses that education and experience in their everyday responsibilities. In other words, if they have an engineering education, they should actually be doing engineering work.
Needless to say, I am absolutely frustrated when people, especially women, are labeled as ‘women in tech.’ I understand that people are trying to make tech more appealing to women by showing successful women in the field. But articles like Elle Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Technology are misleading. Only 2 of the individuals listed actually have some education in a STEM field. Most are entrepreneurs or occupy some upper management role. They are not doing anything technical! Therefore, I argue they are not in tech! It’s like saying the janitor at a local high school is in education. They’re not!
This far extends beyond labeling women as being in the tech industry, though. There are plenty of people labeling themselves as being part of the tech industry on LinkedIn, but take a look at their education and it’s usually some business or finance degree. Just because they may work for a tech company does not mean they are ‘in tech.’
It’s time to use this label only for those who actually do true technical work! By allowing those without a technical degree and role to assume the label of ‘in tech’ degrades what it means to be an engineer or a scientist. For women, it is even more detrimental because the aspirational models set before them are still not true women in STEM roles. It sends the message, “Yes, you can be in tech and no, you don’t have to major in engineering or science to do it!” So, be wary the next time someone claims to be ‘in tech.’