6 Lessons for Women in Tech

March is Women’s History Month, a month dedicated to commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. This March, Teradata has celebrated our own female employees around the globe with a social campaign highlighting their achievements and advice to other women interested in participating in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.

At Teradata, we firmly believe that all members of society, regardless of gender, deserve equal educational and professional opportunities to achieve their full potential and contribute to the advancement of their community and country. Our President and CEO, Oliver Ratzesberger, reiterated that as a company “we remain committed to developing a work environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive” in his blog released on International Women’s Day. 

Today, we share insights from a diverse group of women at Teradata and their advice to other women entering roles in technology:
 

1. Culture Matters

 
“Find a tech company that cares about culture. At Teradata, it has this pervasive attitude that makes the workplace a better experience for the employees. It cultivates a culture that values your potential and merit, not just your years of experience. This culture opens up your mind to a broader view of opportunities, ideas and innovation than just a day-to-day monotonous job.“  Chhaya Tawde Sawant, Service Delivery Manager, Managed Services, Mumbai, India

2. Be Confident

 
“Be confident. Don’t let your overthinking prevent you from asking a question. Don’t let your need to be a perfectionist cause you to undersell yourself. Start believing that what you have to say is important!” Amy Jou, Software Engineer, San Diego, United States
 

3. If You Lose, Don’t Lose Your Lesson

 
“If you lose, don't lose the lesson: In this day and age, speed to market is the critical element and there’s always a balance that you need to strike between speed and perfection. Train yourself to stop striving for perfection and, instead, learn to take risks and adapt a fast fail approach. Setbacks lead to success as long as you learn from them.” Reema Poddar, Chief Product Officer, San Diego, United States
 

4. Be Passionate About What You Do

 
“Don’t be afraid of doing what you like and what makes you happy. Don’t be held back by stereotypes. If you are passionate about something and believe you can do it, then go for it.” Rachel Sanchis-Rossmanith, Technical Support Specialist, Munich, Germany

5. Hone Your Technical Talent and Interpersonal Skills

 
“If you believe you have a strong foundation to back your chosen career field, go with confidence, consistently deliver and continuously focus on your goals and dreams. The technology field gets more and more competitive as you move in your career and the only thing that takes you forward is your technical talent coupled with leadership and interpersonal skills. Make efforts to hone them.” Manjula Koppuravuri, Hyderabad, India
 

6. Don’t Be Scared to Ask for Help

 
“You don’t necessarily have to have a degree in computer science  to get into tech. A variety of skills and knowledge are needed in any given tech company to be successful. Another piece of advice is not to be scared or intimidated by asking for help from others when you need it, women or men. Chances are you will learn something new and the outcomes will likely be much better than you doing it alone.” Youko Watari, Technical Product Marketing Manager, San Diego, United States