Women of Color in Tech is designed to help inform and inspire women of color to pursue tech careers.
Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators will help you overcome the obstacles that often prevent women of color from pursuing and staying in tech careers. Contrary to popular belief, tech careers are diverse and fun—and they go far beyond just coding. This book will show you that today’s tech careers are incredibly dynamic, and you’ll learn how your soft skills—communication, public speaking, networking—can help you succeed in tech.
Professional Reviews
Kirkus Review - WOMEN OF COLOR IN TECH
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.
US Review of Books - WOMEN OF COLOR IN TECH
Women of color are markedly underrepresented in tech careers. Author Tedrick offers practical strategies to encourage those with ambitions in the field. Early on, Tedrick asserts, girls of color may be discouraged from STEM education by parents and teachers, the latter sometimes expressing the bias, even abuse, that shadows these females throughout their lives. But there are organizations that offer help and sound reasons to choose a STEM/tech-based career. These are some common misconceptions: a certain degree is required; only top companies hire tech professionals; only certain kinds of people get jobs. These are examined and refuted. The book explores specific tech jobs, such as consulting, networking, data science, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, and many others in detail. Tedrick offers sound advice on self-presentation, salary expectation (and negotiation), skill-building, resume creation, finding mentors, and dealing with bias. There may be some tough times, especially for women of color, but there are solid rewards, including the opportunity to give back to future aspirants.
As a technical specialist for a Fortune 50 tech company and a community activist assisting those facing challenges in career building, Tedrick has walked the walk she commends to her readers. Her book is thoroughly researched, lists current resources, and is generously arrayed with relevant charts, illustrations, references, and bullet points. Accounts of real-life experiences substantiate her personal acquaintance with her subject. She boldly asserts that though all women face barriers to entering the tech world, women of color are particularly burdened by explicit and implicit bias, causing added stress and invoking crucial decision-making at every level of one’s life and employment. Tedrick’s work is comprehensive, logical, and well-considered. All those engaged in serious job seeking, especially the target group anticipating a tech career, will learn a great deal from the frank, factual, and extensively gathered information she presents here.
