New Study Points to Positive Impact of Career Services on Women Pursuing Tech Careers

BETHLEHEM, PA—Women pursuing careers in the technical fields can benefit from taking advantage of the services provided by their campus career center, according to a joint study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and Break Through Tech, an initiative of Cornell Tech.

The study, detailed in “The Impact of Career Services on Women Pursuing Tech Careers,” examines the current landscape for women pursuing careers in technical fields and what can be done to improve outcomes for women.

“Currently, women are underrepresented not only in terms of those pursuing degrees in tech-related fields but in the tech workforce as well,” says Judith Spitz, founder and executive director of Break Through Tech.

Women account for just 27% of the computing workforce, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. In addition, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, currently, women account for 58% of all bachelor’s degrees conferred but just 22% of those in computer science and information technology.

One of the study’s key findings is the impact college career services can have in leveling the playing field for women in general and in particular for women pursuing tech careers:

• Undergraduate men get more job offers than undergraduate women regardless of whether they use career services, but the use of career services helps narrow the gap between the two groups. (See Figures 1 and 2.)
• When undergraduate women earning STEM-related degrees use career services, they get more job offers than their male counterparts; in contrast, when neither group uses career services, men earning STEM degrees get more job offers. (See Figures 3 and 4.)

“Our research points to the important role career services can play not only in helping women successfully launch their careers in the technology sector but also in helping tech companies build inclusive workforces,” says Shawn VanDerziel, NACE president and chief executive officer.

The study also examined best practices aimed at addressing the challenges faced by women pursuing tech careers.

“This joint research, along with our own published data, confirm that innovative experiential learning programs that directly engage employers are one of the highest leverage interventions to help level the playing field for women and other underserved communities when it comes to tech talent recruitment,” says Spitz.

“The Impact of Career Services on Women Pursuing Tech Careers” is free and available to the public on the NACE website.

About the Study: The joint research project was undertaken in 2022 and concluded in 2023. It was conducted in two parts: The first featured an open-ended survey of NACE career services and employer members to elicit best practices and challenges; approximately 230 NACE members participated. The second part of the study used data from NACE’s 2022 Student Survey, conducted from February 22, 2022, to May 15, 2022, among college students nationwide. A total of 15,680 students from 262 four-year colleges and universities responded.

The study’s findings are provided in “The Impact of Career Services on Women Pursuing Tech Careers,” which is free and accessible to the public.

About the National Association of Colleges and Employers: Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is the only professional association in the United States that connects nearly 11,000 college career services professionals, more than 3,600 university relations and recruiting professionals, and more than 400 business solution providers that serve this community.

NACE is the premier source of market research on career readiness, the employment of recent college graduates, and the college-to-career transition. NACE forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks salaries, recruiting and hiring practices—including internships—and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

NACE offers its members unparalleled research, networking and professional development opportunities, guidance on standards and ethics, and advocacy on key issues. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org/. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media.

About Break Through Tech: Break Through Tech works at the intersection of academia and industry to propel women and nonbinary students into computing degrees and tech careers. Our programs have reached thousands of students during their early college years, with an emphasis on welcoming Black, Latina, Pell-eligible, and first-generation college-goers. Through deep engagement with more than 200 industry partners, our programs prepare students to launch their tech careers. Learn more at www.breakthroughtech.org/.