Below is an excerpt from Anat Rapoport’s new book, Woman Up!: Your Guide to Success in Engineering and Tech, which chronicles her experience climbing up the corporate and startup ladders in the primarily male-dominated field of engineering. In her first position as VP of R&D, Olivia stayed completely silent during management meetings. She tolerated rude and aggressive behavior like yelling and pounding on tables, and she didn’t share what her department was working on or what problems R&D was facing. As a result, when R&D missed deadlines, other departments saw this as failur ..read more

Below is an excerpt from Coline Monsarrat’s new book, You Are Not an Imposter: Unlock Your True Potential So You Can Thrive in Life. Part memoir and part guide, Monsarrat’s book reveals how imposter syndrome can infiltrate all areas of our lives, from our careers to our health, without us even realizing it. She delves into the science behind the condition, discussing how it can bring self-doubt, perfectionism, low self-esteem and confidence, and people-pleasing, to name a few, and how it can ultimately hold us back from achieving our full potential. One of the beliefs that commonly leads ..read more

Being a woman in tech and engineering comes with a unique set of challenges. Earlier in my career, I didn’t have examples of female leaders to model my management style after. So, I created my own. I decided that I wanted to be honest and direct, saying hard things to employees and other managers when I believed they needed to be said. I still always give my perspective, even if the feedback is unpleasant—though I do my best to give the unpleasant feedback in the most pleasant way possible. My path of advancement was only possible because I was willing to reframe my mindset. I used my fa ..read more

Even when we have legitimate reasons to ask for a raise, women are generally more reluctant than men to make the request of their employer. Only 57 percent of women say they’re comfortable asking for a raise or negotiating pay. Many fear that they would overstep if they countered the offer. Some women would rather change jobs in search of better pay than ask their boss for a bump in pay. What’s more, if the request for a raise is denied, women are less likely than men to ask the reason.   Such reluctance to ask for what we’re worth contributes to an ongoing gende ..read more

As 2022 wound down, federal legislators passed two new workplace laws: the Pregnancy Fairness Workers Act (PFWA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) Act. Employers may wonder about the necessity of the PFWA when employers (with more than 15 employees) must follow the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). Similarly, what additional protections does the PUMP Act require that the current law (the FLSA) does not? Let’s examine and compare both laws, but first, why these laws now? Child care is a beast, and always has been. It can be difficult indeed to find and retai ..read more

Dive into issues around career advancement and leadership. Stop saying “sorry”. Start saying “no”. Creating boundaries and setting a fence around the things that really matter in your work is a powerful way to make sure you’re aligning your time with your goals. The Dishwasher Paradox and the Costs of Efficiency One reason why working women have shouldered more housework in a post-Covid, work-from-home world? Because they can. But what if they just don’t? Connecting with curiosity (and a discussion about career mobility) We all know connectivity and strength of your networks can ..read more

The following is adapted from EPIC! I’m a firm believer that if you are not having fun in your life, you’re playing someone else’s game.  Axiom is another word for norms that define “the way things are” today. Today’s accepted axioms best reflect what has worked for the majority who are privileged in our culture and society—white, straight, adult men. It’s time to turn that upside down and allow women and other other historically underrepresented groups to play a game of their own design, under their rules, that work in both the good and difficult times. Play brings out people’s greatest ..read more

We recently chatted with Fran Hauser, author of The Myth of the Nice Girl, which came out in 2018 and was Audible’s Top Business Book of the Year of 2018, and Embrace the Work, Love your Career, stemming from decades working in senior leadership positions at Time Inc.’s People, InStyle and Entertainment Weekly as well as at AOL and Coca-Cola Enterprises. Below is an adapted portion of our discussion, capturing Fran’s insights on elevating ourselves by creating boundaries and changing the language we use. A peer of mine once called me out, “Fran, do you realize you apologize a lot ..read more

If you were one of the 100,000 people laid off from tech jobs this year, you’re likely wondering: Now what? Being through a layoff can not only bring a load of logistical questions into focus–it can also make you question the identities and labels you’ve internalized, the role that work plays in your life, and the direction you want your career to take. That’s a lot to process.  While it might be tempting (and financially necessary) to figure out your next steps as quickly as possible, this is a crucial time for you to be intentional about where and how you move forward from here.  ..read more

The below is an excerpt from Christie Hunter Arscott‘s new book, Begin Boldly: How Women Can Reimagine Risk, Embrace Uncertainty, and Launch a Brilliant Career, which equips readers to take risks using a model built around three mindsets: a curious mindset, a courageous mindset, and an agile mindset. With a step-by-step method for taking risks, assessing rewards, and refining approaches, she gives women a repeatable framework to guide them through this critical career skill. Hunter Ascott’s goal is to encourage women to take chances on themselves and turn risk-taking into an enlightening and ..read more