Monthly Archives: November 2012

Women in Technology: Finding Your Inner Geek Is The Key To Success

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Article from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2012/07/09/women-in-technology-finding-your-inner-geek-is-the-key-to-success/

Like many other male dominated industries, the field of technology presents both challenges and opportunities for women today. To get a better understanding of how women can be successful in this field, I interviewed three women who have each started their own companies and are considered superstars in the technology industry today.

Michelle Zatlyn is co-founder of Cloudflare. She was named one of the 2011 Top Women to Watch in Technology by the Huffington Post and one of theTop 15 Women to Watch in Tech by Inc. Magazine.

Ellen Pack, co-founder of appSmitten.com has more than 20 years experience building online and service businesses. She was VP of Marketing for Elance and in the early 1990′s, founded Women.com and grew it into the largest internet destination for women.

Laney Whicanack is Federated Media Publishing’s Chief Community Officer. she joined FMP through the acquisition of BigTent which she founded in 2006.

1. What, in your opinion, is the best career path for a woman in technology?

Michelle Zatlyn
Two good rules of thumb: You want to work at a company that is growing and you want to work with high-performing people.

If you are early in your career (less than 10 years of experience), joining a high-performing technology company is a terrific way to build relationships, hone your skills, and work on a variety of projects. Over time, you may want to become an entrepreneur and build your own company, but that only makes sense if you find the right business idea.

Ellen Pack
The good news is that there is no one best career path for women to get involved in technology. Getting an engineering degree is a great way to understand how products are built from the ground up; however there are alternate options for women who don’t code. Product management, business development or getting involved in an early stage start up are some of the other avenues for working in consumer technology.

Laney Whitcanack
I think in the 21st century, almost every kind of business involves technology, so in essence, every company is a technology company. It’s important for women to think about the problem they are trying to solve and then think about/work with others to determine how technology can best help them address the problem they are trying to solve. If you focus just on the technology, without being really clear on your vision or what you’re trying to do, you will end up with an over-engineered product and very few users.

In general, I recommend looking for opportunities, especially early on in your career, that give you exposure to how a business runs and operates. Even if it is outside of your direct responsibilities, ask for opportunities to observe or learn the nuts and bolts of the business (attend meetings, meet with people on different teams, etc. etc.).

2. What do women need to know before they enter this field? How do they best prepare?

Michelle
Considering the diversity and range of the technology industry, here are some important things to know about the technology field.

  1. The industry changes quickly. This is a benefit, but also something that some people may not enjoy. Since things change so fast, there is an onus on you as an individual to stay up to date on emerging trends. Some are fads; some are here to stay. Sorting through what is important is hard and time-consuming.
  2. Good salaries
  3. Smart colleagues
  4. There is a big difference being at a high growth company and a big technology company that is growing 2 to 5% every year. If you can, you always want to be at a high-growth organization that is pushing the envelope rather than resting on their laurels of a large, installed customer base.

As a person thinking about working in technology, you will want to:

  1. Be interested in the underlying product or service that the company provides.
  2. Like trying new things and be a person that enjoys continually learning.
  3. Likely live in one of the following cities: Boston, NYC, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Beijing or Shanghai. While there are technology companies everywhere, the core of what is being built is based in these geographic locations and you always want to be at a company that is leading in its field.

Ellen
Women should find their inner geek. The greater your understanding of technology and tech trends, the farther you will go. Being able to get out in front of trends and help companies of any size see how they can leverage technology will make someone a great asset to any company. Read the trade press, keep your skills fresh, and always think of new and better ways things can get done. Your education doesn’t stop when you leave school, it is just beginning and it is your job to create the curriculum every day.

Laney
I think the best preparation is working in service of an idea or challenge that is personally engaging and inspiring. I like the “can I sleep at night” test, when thinking about where I want to put my professional energy. If I could see myself up in the middle of the night thinking new thoughts and ideas about it, it’s probably something I need to follow. With that kind of passion, you will be driven to expend the time and energy often needed to work in the start-up world.

3. What are the pros and cons for women in technology today?

Michelle
It is a terrific industry for anyone who enjoys trying new things and continually learning. Of course, you would need to be genuinely interested in the product and or service you’re working on.

Ellen
While the statistics about the number of women in tech can seem discouraging, it means there are many opportunities for women to join tech companies and make their mark. It’s a very fast-paced field and one that is constantly evolving offering a challenging career path. That said, women entering this field have to get used to often being the only female in the room and they need to speak up so their opinions are heard and considered.

Laney
I definitely encourage women to enter the field of technology and the start-up world. As a parent of a 2-year-old and a six-month-old, I can definitely appreciate that founding and leading a start-up is a lot like raising a child – it requires incredible amounts of energy, passion, commitment and the ability to wear several hats each day (and sometimes each hour), but there is something really amazing about watching it mature. Pros are that tech is fast moving, always changing, and solving the biggest problems and challenges facing our world today. The cons are similar – it’s always moving and changing – so you have to be OK with relentless re-prioritization and working off of your assumptions, because you will never have all the information you need to make decisions related to pushing your business and strategy forward.

4. What is one lesson you’ve learned that you think other women would benefit from knowing?

Michelle
Opportunities present themselves any time, any place. Instead of trying to plan your entire life, focus on your current opportunity and get the most out of it. No matter how hard we try, we can’t predict the next five years. So, focus on what you’re doing today and making the most out of it. Once you start to get to the point where you’re no longer learning as much or you are no longer enjoying what you do, you’ll know it’s time to move on to a new opportunity. Not being able to predict the next five years is a gift. Embrace it.

Ellen
Network like crazy. Build and use your LinkedIn and social media platforms right from the start. The people you know will help you make good decisions along your career path, whether it’s about which company to join or which technology to implement once you are part of a team. What you know is key in tech, but who you know is equally important.

Laney
I am a strong believer in a personal board of directors. As you meet women (and men) as you build your career, create your own personal board of advisers who can help you with career growth and decision making, as well as act as a sounding board for you as you build your business. You only need a few, but they will offer you unbiased feedback and input, in your personal best interest, as you grow and develop your career.

 

The full interview is available on podcast GPS Your Career: A Woman’s Guide to Success.

12 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

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By Kathleen Barton

 

Do you feel overwhelmed with your workload? In this day and age of doing more with less, we have too much to do in too little time. How can we slow down our frenetic pace and achieve our job goals without sacrificing our own well-being? Here are 12 tips to help you better manage your time and increase your productivity at work without stressing you out! 1. Have a clear understanding of your job responsibilities and expectations. 2. Know the priorities, i.e., which projects and tasks are most important. If not, then have a discussion with your boss. 3. Take five minutes at the beginning of your work day to plan your day. 4. Make a realistic list of tasks to complete each day. 5. Prioritize your task list based upon importance and urgency. Work on the most important things first. 6. Block out time on your calendar to complete important projects. Treat it like a meeting. 7. Close the door to your office and forward your phone to voicemail when working on high-priority projects. 8. Allow some flexibility in your schedule for the unexpected. Things will come up! 9. When asked to take on an additional project and your “plate is full”, negotiate deadlines with your boss. Ask him or her to help you determine where this project is on the priority list. 10. Set a deadline for yourself as to when you will leave the office each day. You’ll find that you make better use of your time, since you have limited time and are working toward a deadline. 11. Spend the last five minutes of each work day to review the day. Check off completed tasks and forward uncompleted tasks to the next day. By doing so, you’ll go home with a sense of completion and be able to leave work at work and not think about it. 12. Don’t take work home on the weekends. You need that time for family, friends, and household activities. Take time to relax and you’ll come back to work refreshed and ready to work. By practicing these tips, you’ll become more productive and effective - and be able to reduce your stress level as well! Kathleen Barton is a keynote speaker, workshop presenter, and life coach specializing in life purpose, career success, and work-life balance. She is the author of Passport to Priorities: Your Road Map to Balanced Living.

Kathleen can be reached at www.YourLifeBalanceCoach.com. original Article from WITI

RISE OF THE AFRICAN FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR

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Guest Post by Barbara Birungi of Women in Technology Uganda and WITU

Original post written for and can be found at http://bfabafrica.com/

Kampala, Uganda: There certainly is a rise of female entrepreneurs in Africa in the last few decades, and statistics show that there are now more female-owned businesses on the continent, than male.

African women have moved away from the traditional belief that a man should be the sole provider, while the woman waits at home and looks after the children. This shift in cultural attitude, has been due finally to the education and understanding, that educating the girl child benefits the whole society.

Across Africa we are seeing a great increase of girls attending school, at least until secondary level. However, old attitudes and out-dated cultural thinking are often a hindrance for African women to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit. In Kampala, five years ago, I found the general thinking by many women, was it was better to find a job within a big corporation like MTN, E&Y or a government job, rather than start their own business. This is type of ideology is slowly vanishing, which is great news.

Even with the rise of the African female entrepreneur, many are still small scale traders, its only a few that have risen to a large scale practise, with many businesses seeing little or no growth over a number of years due to the challenges these women still face.

In Africa, anyone who sees a big manufacturing plant or fast growing business, the first assumption is to always think it belongs to a man. When it turns out to be a female-owned business, eyes still roll and eyebrows still rise – mostly by men. Some even say she was just lucky.

One of the biggest barriers African female entrepreneurs face; is easy access to finance. A few banks in Africa, have taken women business owners into consideration and tailored services suited for women borrowers. I believe many more are going to follow suit in the coming years. However, the current financial barrier, leaves many businesses crippled and unable to grow.

The other road block for African female entrepreneurs, is in them not embracing technology for business. This can save valuable processing costs in the chain, increase profitability, and create regional networks among other women business owners in different African countries.

In Uganda, female entrepreneurs can use their GSMA phone for Internet, many still believe that social media is just for young people to have fun, and not a vital tool that can enhance their business.

Luckily, the price of mobile phones have been reducing over the years, and we expect the trend to continue. I believe that manufacturers will begin to put focus on making the mobile phone experience more exciting for women and easy to use beyond voice and SMS.African women need to include more technology structures into their businesses. To encourage more African female entrepreneurs, we also require more African female role models for women and girls, in a variety of sectors.

We also need more female land-owners and a change in policy across the continent on property ownership in many African countries, which still forfeit a women’s right to her land should her husband die. This is last-century thinking.

Women who are fortunate enough to own land, need to recognize that its value can also be used as security to guarantee a bank loan, the old notion that ‘what if I fail to pay, I’ll lose my land” – keeps many women tied into a short-sighted economic future. Luckily, progress has hit African in all areas including traditional beliefs; many women can now own land! This very land will act as security when she goes to access a loan from a bank to expand her business.

In Uganda, we have WOUGNET, WITU and UWONET, all seeking to increase the use of ICT by women. Business networks have now been created which will enhance collaboration across many sectors. This grows relationships amongst different businesses with similar goals in the region, and everyone benefits.

The more women embrace entrepreneurship, the more cultures, education and rights of women will improve – because women are natural teachers, they pass on what they know and usually work with relatives and family members, who learn the skill from them and become entrepreneurs themselves.

With success stories being showcased more and more in the news media, and other women beginning to embrace entrepreneurship, I believe in the next coming decades, we will have more women embracing entrepreneurship on a much larger scale across Africa, than running to employment in the formal sector.

Edited by Shaheera Asante