History is the foundation on which our society is built, and in March, an integral part of our society is celebrated with Women’s History Month. While women haven’t consistently been included in our retelling of history, this month’s celebrations help us correct these misconceptions, and set the stage for us to ensure these omissions don’t happen again. In recognition of this month, we asked a few colleagues to share their thoughts on working in tech (particularly at Sparq) as a woman.
“The feeling I get seeing women put themselves out there in a male-dominated industry like technology is powerful and motivating. Women are successfully leading software development teams. We are leading innovation, strategy, and relationship-building efforts. The hardest part is getting the courage to expose yourself. As women our natural pattern is to try, fail, learn, teach or try, succeed, learn, teach. If you don’t try you are robbing your company, business partners, team, and yourself of the sensational benefit that is the utility of the female mind.” – Valerie Thompson, Project Manager
“I am grateful that at RSI every employee has the same opportunities. Here, women are valued and can grow as professionals in tech. Sometimes our thoughts can hinder our professional development. We can think that we are not good enough or it is not possible for me. Don’t let them stop you. Do everything you can for your goal. With every step you dare to take, your self-esteem grows and these thoughts may disappear. Just move forward! Remember that we deserve the same opportunities every person has. I believe that everyone can achieve what they want.” – Irina Bocharova, QA Consultant
“Thanks to the women who broke rules, taboos, and barriers to entry in fields such as the formalized tech industry, we are now able to focus on our next hurdle: normalizing our participation in the workplace. We can use the tools of the past to keep moving forward. We have to continue to speak out, work hard, and expect better of ourselves and our colleagues. Every woman I work with is a reminder of how far we have come.” – Corina Willner, QA Consultant
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