Career Lessons from a Woman In Tech
Oct 20, 2016
Having been in the technology field for over twenty years, I make sure to take the time to mentor others, both women and men, on my experiences in the field. I believe that it’s so important for people like me to pass on what we’ve learned. Sharing our knowledge and teaching from our experiences is vital to the health of the technology field in general.
That’s part of why I lead Capital One’s Women in Tech Chapter in Richmond, VA. In my time leading this chapter, I’ve had many mentees and have noticed many things about their questions. In many cases, they come to me because there is a particular competency (like teamwork or influence) that they are trying to cultivate. But more often, these mentees are mid-career and have more complex questions for me. Sometimes they’re questioning if they truly enjoy the role. Other times they’re considering whether or not to change roles within the field or to stay in technology in general. There are no blanket answers to these types of questions but I share my own experiences when assisting them in their individual decisions.
When it comes to staying or changing roles in the technology field, there are a few recurring themes that I’d like to illustrate with quotes:
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”
This quote from Benjamin Franklin is about the theme of change. It’s a great adage for anyone in technology, regardless of seniority. Technology is constantly changing, therefore you need to continuously learn in order to stay relevant. For example, I recently launched a team focused on machine learning and bots. While I have a PhD in Operations Research, it’s been a few years since I worked with neural networks and all the associated techniques that have emerged. The first thing I did was go back to the math and remind myself of the basics in this space. Then, I began reading and dived into an online course. I put my fingers on the keyboard and did some matlab exercises. This kind of learning (or even re-learning in this case) enabled me to build a team, understand the current trends, and know what we’ll need to succeed in this rapidly changing space.
Takeaway: Overcome the fear of the unknown/failure, and just get started. You may surprise yourself.
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
This quote from Steven Covey is about the theme of listening. Personally, I really enjoy the debate, the back-and-forth, and the exchange of ideas. However, in order for this to be productive, each party needs to really listen to the other and be open to differences. By asking questions instead of debating, you might create an entirely different answer that is vastly better than the ideas each of you started with.
Take the time to truly understand what is being said, without trying to defend your own ideas. Getting really good at this is critical for building large-scale software solutions. For example, there is no one right way to design and code software to solve a business problem.
Takeaway: You need to understand the problem being solved and the constraints in the environment. This is most definitely an art.
“Sometimes you need to leave tech for a bit, to know you belong.”
This quote is actually my own about the theme of finding your fit. I’ve been with Capital One for eighteen years: fourteen in Technology and four in Operations. Many people have read about the leaky pipeline and mid-career women leaving the field. Back when I was looking for a new role internally, someone suggested that there was a great opportunity to build out a project management office in Operations. The idea was intriguing, as I had led both project and software engineering functions.
So I jumped on it. During those four years in Operations, I enjoyed the work, had a great team, and built new working relationships that I never would have had if I’d stayed within the Technology field.
Yet, I always knew that I was missing what I enjoyed most: transforming our customer experience and business through great software. When I returned to Technology, I had a better perspective and I was able to focus my energies there.
Takeaway: Sometimes you need a change to clarify what you enjoy, what your strengths are, and what motivates you.
“I think a lot of people dream. And while they are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, powerful, engaged people, are busy doing.”
This quote from Shonda Rhimes is about the theme of finding your happy place and establishing balance in our lives. I am a happy person because I work. I am also a proud mother of two talented and accomplished teenage girls that my husband and I raised while both working. There isn’t a magic formula for a happy life, and each person needs to determine what is right for them. I have cancelled business travel for my family, but I have also been on business trips and missed something in their lives.
It’s not about balance at all — it’s about knowing yourself, what your family needs, and what your job needs. Each day, week and year will be different. So let it be and go do.
Takeaway: Let go of the guilt of “I should…” and the tyranny of impossible perfection that comes along with it. Instead, start with “I am happy when…”Then do those things. That’s it and more than enough.
Finally, I come back to that first Benjamin Franklin’s quote a lot, even beyond mentoring others. I enjoy the excitement of change, and technology is constantly changing. Technology is going to shape future generations’ lives in ways we can’t anticipate. As you consider the future of the field and your role in it, ask yourself, “Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”
DISCLOSURE: The opinions in this blog are the opinions of the authors/interviewees and not necessarily the opinions of Capital One. Unless noted otherwise in this post, Capital One is not affiliated with, nor is it endorsed by, any of the companies mentioned. All trademarks and other intellectual property used or displayed are the ownership of their respective owners. This blog post is © 2016 Capital One.
Originally published at developer.capitalone.com.
For more on APIs, open source, community events, and developer culture at Capital One, visit DevExchange, our one-stop developer portal. https://developer.capitalone.com/
