Every year, we see multiple organizations releasing reports on the challenges faced by women in the workplace. Lack of guidance on career growth, not being visible and not being heard, staying relevant, balancing work and family, career breaks, and unconscious bias are some of the key areas highlighted time and again. What stands out from these reports year after year is that there is a slight improvement in the numbers. Thus, while we have reached a stage where the barriers to women’s professional growth are well-defined, we still have a long way to go before overcoming them. And I sincerely feel, an approach that can work is breaking gender silos.
Like any woman looking to make a career in the tech industry, I have faced most of these challenges, but my start has been quite novel. As an engineering student, I got to study and graduate from one of the most prestigious women’s engineering colleges in Pune. Seeing myself and many of my fellow female batchmates thriving in this environment instilled a sense of pride in me about what women can do. With the same gusto, I entered the technology consulting industry and initially grew at a fast pace. But soon, many of the obstacles mentioned above came up, and I was completely blind-sided. In a lead role, I was perceived as being too aggressive, and at the same time, my voice was not being heard. I lacked guidance on how to chart my career path, and it was downhill once I had my daughter and decided to take a break to raise her.
Luckily for me, all this changed with my current organization. Despite having taken a break of a few years to raise my daughter, I was hired based on my skills and potential and have seen tremendous growth in the last three years and maintain a decent work-life balance.
Continue reading: https://www.expresscomputer.in/it-people/women-in-tech/women-can-confront-obstacles-in-their-tech-careers-by-breaking-gender-silos/78862/
Like any woman looking to make a career in the tech industry, I have faced most of these challenges, but my start has been quite novel. As an engineering student, I got to study and graduate from one of the most prestigious women’s engineering colleges in Pune. Seeing myself and many of my fellow female batchmates thriving in this environment instilled a sense of pride in me about what women can do. With the same gusto, I entered the technology consulting industry and initially grew at a fast pace. But soon, many of the obstacles mentioned above came up, and I was completely blind-sided. In a lead role, I was perceived as being too aggressive, and at the same time, my voice was not being heard. I lacked guidance on how to chart my career path, and it was downhill once I had my daughter and decided to take a break to raise her.
Luckily for me, all this changed with my current organization. Despite having taken a break of a few years to raise my daughter, I was hired based on my skills and potential and have seen tremendous growth in the last three years and maintain a decent work-life balance.
Continue reading: https://www.expresscomputer.in/it-people/women-in-tech/women-can-confront-obstacles-in-their-tech-careers-by-breaking-gender-silos/78862/
