Striveworks Inclusion & Diversity

Describe your experience as a woman in engineering. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced, and how have you overcome them?

My experience as a woman in engineering has been as challenging as any other woman’s. Women are definitely a minority in the field of engineering. I still remember attending a Microsoft event for engineers in Irving, Texas, many years ago with only three women — including myself — and probably more than a hundred men. The lack of representation would lead to negative assumptions about, or suspicion of, capabilities and technical competence. It was not uncommon for women to be assigned time-consuming yet trivial tasks while men would obtain the opportunities to lead significant initiatives that eventually justify promotions. 

To overcome those challenges, women have to work hard, deliver solid contributions, and develop both strong tech and soft skills while also expanding networks and increasing impact. I am not sure I have totally overcome those challenges, though I feel better and more hopeful.

What are your professional goals, and how has Striveworks enabled you to pursue them? What career growth resources/opportunities are available?

My professional goals are centered around continuous learning focused on AI/ML, software development and data science, as well as the refinement of my soft skills to be a better communicator and coordinator. Striveworks supports those goals in many ways. There is an individual development team that I work with on a daily basis, where we practice the scrum project management framework and take turns to host standups and ceremonies. There are also engineering-specific and companywide forums that keep everyone informed about the latest technical progress and development. Modern tools like Slack or Jira have been exploited for work efficiency. Just like running long distances with good companions helps individuals go further and stronger, I work alongside some of the most talented people with advanced technologies like Cloud, Golang, Python and Postgres.

What advice do you have for women in engineering or other technical roles regarding how to identify a company and team that will support their growth and development?

There are a couple of factors to consider. Diversity data is just one side of the story but may not be as important as inclusion and acceptance from team members. Though women engineers are a small subset of the Striveworks team, I have never felt that I was treated differently. Most of my coworkers are sophisticated and polite — and ready to help. At Striveworks, contributions are recognized, achievements are praised and capabilities and hard work are both admired, no matter the gender. 

When interviewing, I would not recommend asking for special programs for women or checking how many women are in leadership roles; instead, look for companies where you will be treated as an equal. Women in engineering are competitive: more single women than single men are buying homes, and more women than men are graduating from college. We don’t need special treatment — we just need equality. Keep an eye out for prejudice during the interview process. Interviewing is like dating: You want to find a company that is a good fit, where you like your co-workers and the work aligns with your career goals.