If you're thinking about starting a career in tech, you may have wondered just how true tech stereotypes might be. 

Is tech hard for women to break into? Is the field boring and tied down to an office? 

Media images and public discussion based on stereotypes have led to damaging misconceptions about tech. These misconceptions form a barrier between tech and people who could transform it.

The tech industry thrives on new, exciting voices who challenge preconceived ideas. An influx of students and professionals who rightly recognize tech as vibrant and inclusive are helping to dispel and rewrite common tech myths.

Read to learn how some common misconceptions about working in tech clash with the tech industry's reality, according to established tech veterans.

Common myths about working in tech debunked

Negative stereotypes about tech can deter people who might offer valuable contributions. 

Common tech myths have caused the public to perceive computer science jobs as antisocial, isolated, and office-confined jobs dominated completely by men. The truth is more complex than that.

Two tech veterans, CEO Victoria Mendoza and educator Sarah Lean, join us to review common beliefs about tech. While it is true that the tech industry still faces challenges with representation for women and people of color, tech is a vibrant career field. 

Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Tech is just an "old boys' club"

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Meet these famous computer scientists

Despite what you might think, the computer science field is a patchwork of creative, innovative thinkers from all backgrounds, races, and genders.

Women in STEM may bemoan that tech still seems like an "old boys' club." There is some truth to this belief, as men are overwhelmingly represented in information technology careers. However, according to Mendoza, women are claiming space in the tech industry:

Many people see tech companies as an "old boys' club." Well, for the most part, it still is one