Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.

This prompt got me thinking about different scenarios in my life where I have experienced being “out of place.” I guess I’m going to take the less dramatic side of life and talk about work experience. 🤣 Let’s make the mood light since it’s TGIF folks! 😁

Back in the day, when I was a new grad I always got that “Are you sure, you’re in this field?” look. I have a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and when I was a new grad, there weren’t many women in the field yet. Professions related to Information Technology were male-dominated at the time. So when I started looking for an IT job after graduation, I always got that look from men in the field like wondering why I’m applying for an IT job. I guess my looks didn’t match the job either. 🤣 Whatever! I didn’t care what anyone thought. I went to school because I was passionate about it. I’ve pictured myself having a career in the tech field since I first laid eyes on a computer when I was eight, at my Aunt’s workplace. I went with her one weekend when she had to work overtime and she let me play with the computer. The monitor wasn’t even in color back then. It was just a black screen with green fonts aka monochrome monitors. 🤣 That was back in the late 80’s. My goodness, that was ages ago! 🤣 We’ve come a long way with technology folks! 😂 Kids need to appreciate what we have these days, technology-wise. But, I honestly think technology-free as a kid was so much more fun.

Anyway, working in the IT field as a woman in the early 2000s was uncommon. So it’s no surprise that I was getting that vibe from the male-dominated field. It didn’t bother me though and I liked being different. I knew I could do the job and that is what I did. I’m proud that I can deliver and get the job done. I thought it was funny too when I’m at social gatherings and people get so surprised to find out what my profession is. They probably thought I was either a nurse or in the US Navy because my friends belong in those fields.

Although I may have felt somewhat out of place sometimes because I belonged in a profession that was male-dominated at the time. I also knew that I belonged there because I chose that profession and loved everything about it. Wow, suddenly I miss being in the trenches. 😊