"For any software development position, you will have more applicants named Steve than female applicants."

I didn't make this up, but I'm amazed at the predictability of the Law of Steve. We've had three job openings for .Net developers in the last 18 months, and it has held true every time. For our current opening the count is Steve: 1, women: 0. In fact, the number of qualified female applicants for all three positions is 0. Zero. Seriously.

Willamette Week had a cover story recently that hit on this topic. In Where the Tech is She? Ruth Brown explored the curious lack of female tech workers. There was quite a bit of focus on male-dominated environments, but the helpful info graphic shows that approximately 21% of the programming/engineering workforce is female. Based on the resumes we've gotten, I'm just not seeing it. Have the techy women collected at certain places? Or maybe women are less likely to move jobs every 18 months, so the potential of qualified female developers looking for work while we're hiring is lower. Or perhaps as one commenter from WW's website suggested, I should read up on how to recruit and retain women in tech workplaces.

For women in the tech industry who are thinking about changing jobs, or women who are considering a technical career path, I can offer this piece of advice: if you're female and remotely qualified, your resume will stand out. You'll almost always get the interview.