This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Harvard WECode Conference. Both Saturday and Sunday were packed with inspiring talks, professional development opportunities, career fairs, and social events. A few months ago, I also attended the Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration, which lasted a week and had similar events on the program. I’m always taken aback by how inspired I become by talking to others in tech, specifically women, at these conferences. I find that learning about other peoples’ diverse experiences in tech always highlights a new angle or perspective I’ve never seen before.
In honor of International Women’s Day, I hope to share my newfound insights and inspire you, or at the very least, shed some light on some new things I’ve learned. And while these pointers are specifically geared towards minorities in tech, I’m positive that everyone can gain something from reading this. As you’ll come to see, these four ideas are the key to having a healthy relationship with the tech industry.
1. Imposter syndrome? Just don’t
Firstly, I apologize for my bluntness but hear me out.
I can confidently say that I’m someone who has struggled with imposter syndrome. And even as the feeling has started to fade, I can still clearly remember the rush of anxiety I used to get from raising my hand (or unmuting myself) in class. But what I’ve noticed about successful tech leaders is that imposter syndrome is something they rarely deal with. They always have had intrinsic confidence in their abilities, and rarely falter from that. This is why I believe it’s so important to break the notion of imposter syndrome. As said by one of the speakers at WECode, “ask yourself: what’s the worst that could happen.” “Imposters” tend to dramatize their failures, when in actuality, their failures are inconsequential to the bigger picture.
In my opinion, the best remedy for imposter syndrome is simply cognizance of the term. The definition of imposter syndrome circulates around the idea that someone feels that they are an imposter or a fraud, and therefore, continues to doubt their abilities. But the entire definition is based on the implication that the person having imposter syndrome feels as though they are not good enough when in reality, they are. Unfortunately, our perceptions of ourselves are too humble; we play down our accomplishments and brush away our triumphs. But by breaking this notion, you open yourself to a happier relationship with your own confidence and abilities.
2. You don’t need to study tech to work in tech
If you’ve ever heard me talk about technology, you’ve probably heard me say something about the “intersections of technology with different industries.” I love hearing about stories of people who majored in classic literature or public policy and ended up working as a machine learning engineer or a data scientist. The reason that tech welcomes people with diverse fields of study is that technology concepts are easily learned; there are hundreds of online programs or quick bootcamps that will teach you everything you need to know.
People who study fields outside of technology bring unique perspectives to the table, and employers really seem to value this. The analytical mindset someone gains from majoring in a humanities subject is completely different and often valuable among the large array of people with more traditional tech journeys. The key here is passion and grit. Entering a completely new field with complex jargon is intimidating, so the ones who are successful with transferring into tech have an immense passion and curiosity for the field.
3. Set goals based on your own definition of success
My favorite quality in people is passion. There’s nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up as they talk about their aspirations, goals, ideas, and the like. I also like being in the position where I’m talking about my passions to other people.
But the sad truth is that sometimes, we get too caught up in things we should do instead of things we want to do. We set goals for ourselves based on other people’s definitions of success. But the truth is that passion trumps diligence. If you’re not passionate enough about something, then you set yourself up for more future obstacles. So next time you’re applying to that job at Goldman or that internship at Google, ask yourself, are you applying because you’ve fallen in love with the company culture or because that’s how others have defined success for you. Success doesn’t mean being a full-stack developer FAANG or working on Wall Street. You’ll find more value in creating your own definition.
4. Live on silver linings
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that the worst parts of life are assuaged by silver linings. Most tech company CEOs entered the pandemic with great uncertainty, but only the successful ones looked at the silver lining; they saw the pandemic as an opportunity to grow the company. Since consumer interaction severely decreased during this time, it was a good time for tech companies to refactor their code, change their products to make them more scalable, and create new initiatives for the company to focus on. If not for the pandemic, these companies would never have had the opportunity to make these changes.
But this is just one example. When you find yourself in a tough situation related to your career, take your time to grieve. But the most important next step is that you pull yourself out of that stage and look at the silver linings. How can your current situation help you improve? How can it help you change something you’ve always wanted to change?
As a final note, being in tech is like being in a long-term relationship. When you’re searching for your next tech true love, put out your best, unique self. Don’t catch feelings for prestige (he’s all talk, but in the end, he might not make you happy), and don’t settle. Of course, every relationship is rooted in compromise, so try and find the silver linings of every situation. And once you’ve found “the one,” seize your opportunity and put a ring on it!
Technically Speaking is an Opinion culture column used to discuss topics relating to technology, such as pop culture, trends, social media, or other relevant subject matter.
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