The Develop[HER] Show

Lisa - DevelopHer with $80K Salary Increase

A million dollars! That’s how much Lisa’s salary increase will pay her over the next twelve years! And that’s without counting interest. Lisa, one of DevelopHer’s first members, gained an $80,000 pay increase when she took her most recent job as a principal site reliability engineer for a healthcare technology company. Her experience in consulting, cloud-based application usage, and even developing art for video games gave her the background to know what value she had to bring to a business. She’s now positioned for personal success andis poised to help her company improve their infrastructure and increase profits. Be Willing to Pivot Change is a critical part of career success. No skill is wasted. Agile is more than a software development methodology. It describes the ability to pivot to the next move, drawing from the work that has gone before. Soft skills, business basics, and communication abilities contribute to each career shift. Gain Valuable Perspective A lot is written about negotiation, but it is still a challenge. Networking is a good start. Researching specific companies and what they pay developers is essential. Don’t start with your previous numbers. Learn what each company needs and what they’re willing to pay for it. Own YourOutcome Know the numbers. Then be strategic as to your desired outcome. DevelopHer’s scripts help you ask more to begin with. Raises from one job to the next may still not get you to the pay level that is in line with the value you bring to the company. Once the focus is on what you have that the company needs, the salary negotiation shifts. It’s not about how much they’ll pay; it’s about how much you’re worth. Build Confidence and Competence This is bigger than a pay increase. Being strategic and understanding what a company needs positions you to move into the new job and address what you were hired for. And that’s a confidence builder. The best way to overcome imposter syndrome is competence and confidence. It’s that confidence that can be invested in others.

Dr. Karen Panetta

A career disappointment could have been the end of a dream for Dr. Karen Panetta, Dean of Graduate Education at Tufts University and President-Elect of IEEE engineering honor society Eta Kappa Nu. Instead, she turned the difficult experience to good. President Obama honored Karen with the nation’s highest award for engineering education and mentoring. But, Karen didn't stop there. Her innovative Nerd Girls program, produced with IEEE, shows what young women can accomplish in technology. In Episode 8, Lauren talks with Karen about how she took a difficult situation, used it to propel her to new levels of success, and now is paying it forward by encouraging women to follow their "change the world” dreams. Balance pride and humility Don’t be surprised if your accomplishments and awards are met by silence. Celebrating your own success elevates women in technology. State the facts of your achievements. Share it out to the world when something significant happens for you. Promote other women Helping one woman in tech helps all women in tech. Women are not out for themselves. Show your support for others, and there will be a multiplying effect. Disrupt stereotypes. Women in tech are not just “pizza-eating nerds playing video games in the basement!” Collaborate Be a part of solving the bigger problem. Build up women. Invite other women to support your endeavors. The technology pie is growing. The tent is large, and women in tech can all fit. Women need to keep a growth, rather than a scarcity mindset. Changing the world will require both men and women to engage with each other in the space that’s big enough for all. Allow the negative to make you stronger Negative events happen. Negative people will try to bring you down. Failure is a part of learning in both engineering and in life. It’s what engineers do. You can respond with resentment, revenge, and blame, or you can use your energy in positive ways. Turn these events into transformative moments. Remember and lean into what you’re made for. Do what you love.

J. Kelly Hoey, Networking Expert

J. Kelly Hoey, my go-to Networking Expert, has a had a highly successful career that started in law, included tech, and is now in publishing. Her new book, Build your Dream Network, has a unique perspective on networking that aims to help readers create meaningful connections and stand out from the crowd. Kelly wants people to rethink networking. It's not just about cocktail parties, it’s about every single interaction you have – from the comment on Facebook to the small talk with a stranger in line for your morning coffee. Networking is more about human interaction than emails and charts. In this episode, Kelly and I reimagine what networking is and break down specific strategies and perspectives that will help anyone understand networking from a holistic approach, even in you’re an introvert. Stop and listen to the people around you You have to stop and listen to the people around you and what it is that they see in you. Sometimes your network sees more in you than you see in yourself. Networking is something we do every single day We do it even when we're sleeping. Why? When you're sleeping people are probably Googling you, or they're looking at your profile, or they're thinking about a memo you sent them. Interact with the world the way you would want. The big key to networking is to interact with the world in a way that you would want. Think about the other person and how they receive and engage information. Networking is a marathon, not a sprint. Networking is building relationships; you're not a salesperson. For most of us what's going on in our careers is relationship building. And that's a marathon, not a sprint.

Elizabeth Xu, Former Internal CTO at BMC Software

As soon as Elizabeth Xu stopped comparing herself to others and started recognizing what her own personal strengths were, she was able to really transition into her role as BMC Software’s Chief Architect and Internal CTO. She found a way to step away from her imposter syndrome in a matter of just one week by transforming her mentality and entering the space with a game plan that she was ready to put into action, while celebrating her new path. In Episode 6, Elizabeth and I discuss the importance of aligning yourself with your goals, recognizing your own accomplishments and evolving with them, and being the change you want in your life. Break through your internal pullback Break through your internal pullback and recognize that you are the right person for the job and that you will be successful. The first hurdle is forgiving the unreasonable expectation that we put on ourselves that we have to know everything upfront and well. Identify your strengths and focus on what you are really interested in Identify your strengths and focus on what you are really interested in and use them as a platform to expand on your capabilities. If you compete with or compare yourself to others, you’ll only be beating yourself up, rather than making a proper impact. Come up with your game plan by creating a map Find out what the job requires, what skills and knowledge you don’t currently have, and spend time and money and learn from the best to become the best. Treat yourself as a baby when you are trying to learn something new When you make mistakes, embrace them and give yourself enough time to practice and become better, rather than kicking yourself when you are down.

Joan Holman, Chief Information Officer at Strasburger & Price

Joan Holman, Chief Information Officer at Strasburger & Price, has strategically used networking and relationship building as tools to grow and advance her career. Despite the fact that she is content in her current role, she continues to network across industries and within her own field, and works to develop and maintain relationships with recruiters. These actions have enabled her to understand and evolve with the industry, and leverage her knowledge of her own market value when it comes to negotiating her worth. In Episode 5, Joan and I talk key tactics women in tech can use to identify their own value and keep up with this ever-changing industry. Always take the call when you are approached by recruiters Always take the call when you are approached by recruiters, even if you aren’t actively looking. The position may not be for you, but you may be able to point them in the right direction. This will help you develop a relationship that may one day lead to the right opportunity down the line. Help others and you will help yourself. It’s a lot easier to ask about budget when you’re not asking for yourself. These recruiter conversations will help you identify your market value as you help connect them with someone fit for the job. Give value and gain value. Network outside of your industry Network outside of your industry to establish a breadth of connections. You’ll gain experience that’s not yours, expand your footprint and land even more opportunities as you establish yourself as their industry go-to. Understand your own value, and don’t lose sight of it. You must know what you can bring to the table, what contributions you can make, what skills and expertise you have, and where that fits within an organization.