I’ve been a programmer for a long time and a woman for even longer. I’ve had the privilege to intern at a fortune 500 company and gotten job offers from all sorts of cool companies. One thing that I have realized from talking to non-programmers is that there is a stereotype of what a programmer is and I am definitely not it. I’ve spoken to women who were honestly a little concerned that their daughters wanted to go into programming. This post isn’t going to address that but what it will do is give my fellow women in programming a few tips on things like how to get better pay and not throw out your back.

1.Stand up for yourself. If you want something ask for it. You don’t get better pay by doing a good job. You get better pay by asking for it and being both firm and realistic.
Do some research find out what the average pay for your sort of job is in your area and ask for slightly higher. You can almost always negotiate down but going up doesn’t happen often.
So be prepared when someone asks you what you want pay wise. You don’t have to answer you can play it a bit coy and wait for them to name numbers. Then say well actually I’m looking for something
around this number. Be prepared for them to offer you slightly lower so ask a bit higher. There is nothing unladylike about talking about pay. Most companies only give out raises once or twice a year
so it is far better to start out slightly higher than gamble on a raise down the road. When that time of year comes around make sure all your stuff is ship shape and go talk to
your boss make sure they know that your working hard and above average and would like compensation to match. Make sure though that is actually true.

2.A good bra is like a good team supportive and helps keep you from throwing out your back. This is a big one spend the money and take the time to get good quality ones in the right size.
You will be so much more productive when you aren’t in pain. If you are an odd size, hard to fit, or want something exceedingly pretty might I recommend https://www.thelingerieaddict.com/ . It’s a blog that I really enjoy. They frequently have articles about brands that cater to specific body types, small boobs, large boobs small band size, you get the idea.

It will also help you to have better posture which will prevent back pain and injury. Yoga and other stretches will help as well. I’ve had some pretty sever upper back pain because of injury and bad posture. Believe me when I say $50 for a good bra is worth the money. It’s way cheaper than having to go to a doctor or chiropractor.

3.Fingernails- keep them short it makes typing so much easier. Yes I know there are those women who can type crazy fast with inch long rhinestones but lets be realistic they are rare.
So your odds of being one is slim. I’m sorry I know they look so pretty but they are so unpractical. If you are a dude and reading this it is 2019 this applies to you too. No one likes long scraggly fingernails.

4.Dress sharp and professional. Be just a hair above the rest. If company style is jeans and a T-shirt maybe do jeans and a nice shirt or iron your clothes. Looking crisp and professional makes people
respect you just a tiny bit more. Have a quick and classy hairstyle for when your running late. My favorite is a bun held up by a chopstick. Doesn’t matter how messy your hair is you can do that hairdo in under
a minute and it looks nice. Figure out a couple of quick and classy makeup looks for when you need an extra boost. My favorite is simple eye shadow with mascara and a little lip.
It’s classy and classic.

5. Speak out- No one knows what you are thinking unless you tell them. I have known multiple women who were disappointed that they never got asked about their ideas at work or in groups but never spoke about them. This is a trap a lot of quiet people fall into. Often people are willing to consider your opinion you just need to present it in an appropriate way. If this is something you struggle with consider taking a public speaking class or pushing yourself to speak out more in some other way.

Those are my 5 non-programming tips for women programmers. If you have any tips for women programmers please share them in the comments below.

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