It's no secret that women are underrepresented in federal leadership roles, especially when it comes to federal IT management positions. On Thursday night, three female IT leaders joined MeriTalk's Her Tech Tonic to celebrate women in technology and inspire women to reach their full potential.
The three women shared advice for female technology professionals looking to advance their careers in federal IT. Here are some important points:
believe in yourself
Sharon Woods, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) J-6 Endpoint and Global Services Center, said the most important thing is to “believe in yourself.”
“Many women experience impostor syndrome, the idea that maybe we’re not good enough, or should we really be here? Do we have all the experience we need? Do I have as much experience as my opponent? And the answer is, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah,'” Woods said.
Similarly, Woods said having strong mentors who “encouraged me and challenged me” helped him gain confidence throughout his career.
don't opt out
Along similar lines, Woods encouraged women not to “opt out” when applying for jobs.
“Reach out, reach out. Women have a terrible habit of opting out. They don't apply because they don't think they're qualified enough. Yet, less qualified men also apply. “I guess so,” Woods said. “If you don't apply, the answer is no, right? That's a guaranteed answer. Don't opt out, just apply and see what happens.”
“The other thing I've seen is…you see zigzags are very common, because people say, 'Well, why don't we try this?' And then there's the question, “Can we really do that?” That's a completely different field than what I'm doing now. do I have the knowledge to do it? And you just have to go for it,” she added. “You just have to go for it and believe in yourself.”
become a problem solver
Melinda Rogers, the Justice Department's chief information officer, offered her advice to women: “Be problem solvers.”
“Don't take the issue to your boss. It's great to let your boss know about the problem, but also offer a solution. Ideally, something like Option A and Option B. Right? Just present the facts and be a problem solver,” Rogers said.
give 110% effort
“Do the best you can and do a good job. Take pride in your work, create quality products, and produce great service because your name will be attached to it.” So instead of just doing something because your boss tells you to do it, you need to give 110 percent,” Rogers added.
don't be afraid of difficult things
Renata Spinks, a former U.S. Marine Corps Deputy CIO for Information, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (IC4) and current CEO of CyberSec International, says women are afraid of being difficult. I encouraged him not to.
“Who cares about the glass ceiling? Don't think about it, because when you think about what you don't have, you become stagnant with fear,” Spinks said. “Here you are. Therefore, you need to take the initiative and perfect your craft. And don't be afraid to do things that are difficult or that you don't think you're qualified for.”
Understand the difference between a champion and a mentor
Last but not least, Spinks urged female pros to “understand the difference between a champion and a mentor.”
“We need some advocates,” she added. “Because if you want to call your mentor, they'll give you some motivational scripts…but you have to be able to call your girlfriend or whoever and say, “Well, when I spoke to Sharon today, I felt empowered, but still scared. ” So if she wants to cry, she needs another layer that she can yell and call. If you need to say, “So how did you do this?” then do it. ”
“[Have] Not just the leaders, but their champions as well. And that champion may not look like you. They may not go to the same bathroom as you. If we weren't so obsessed with the challenges that men face every day, men would advocate for you,” Spinks said. “Let’s get these champions so we can be okay with constructive criticism coming our way.”
