This paper seeks to to cast a light on what positive or negative experiences may be influencing women’s willingness to actively apply for and enter software engineering roles in Finland and when these problems commonly arise. We report on a survey designed to understand the experiences of 252 respondents who were mainly women who already work in, or are somehow already interested in applying for software engineering roles. Initial findings reveal that women’s feelings of computing self-efficacy and attitudes towards software engineering are shaped by early experiences. It raises questions about how to combat stereotyping and present more positive images of women in software engineering.