Today I met somebody doing the Hackbright Academy bootcamp. I remember looking at that program earlier this year when I was evaluating the available paths through my career change from science into software development. Even though Hackbright has a shiny website and a decent reputation, I ruled them out quickly because I don’t want to be a female programmer. I don’t want to get hired as a female programmer, and I definitely don’t want to be the token female filling out a company’s diversity quota. It seems as if Hackbright and similar women-only programs, though well-intentioned, should be a magnet for companies looking to pad their gender ratio, and I just don’t want to be recruited on that basis.
Honestly, I just want to keep learning and working on interesting problems. Code is code, and I don’t want any well-meaning developer-mentors using their kid gloves to take what should be a sink-or-swim extreme learning situation and turn it into happy fun play time. I’m sure the program is probably very good, but I couldn’t suppress my horror-fantasy about it being a programming sorority.
I also worry that women-only events make the problem worse by reinforcing stereotypes and segregating women from the rest of the developer community. I don’t see how it helps women get over their impostor syndrome and take up the programmer identity if women-only events are always emphasizing the fact that they aren’t regular programmers—they’re female programmers.
I haven’t had any problems with the atmosphere or men at App Academy; the program is about 80% male. I would recommend that any women considering bootcamps try not to be intimidated by the ratio. Unless you’re going on to a female-only job in a female-only company (you’re not), you’re eventually going to have to deal with working in a male-heavy professional environment. Might as well do it sooner than later and avoid the female programmer ghetto.