have been in IT for almost 10 years now. I have tried various technologies and explored different work cultures. I love being in a team where we can share our opinions openly and has a safe space. In my personal life, I moved to Denmark three years ago and been living with my husband and a cat.
WHAT FIRST SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN WORKING IN THE TECH INDUSTRY?
I love problem solving and when I was in college, I loved exercises which involved automating operations like sorting a list of numbers through few lines of code. I was amazed on how we can just automate things with coding.
HOW CAN COMPANIES SUPPORT THE WOMEN IN TECH COMMUNITY BETTER AND HOW DOES LEGO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP YOUR CAREER?
IT is a male dominated industry, so we must ensure an inclusive environment where everyone is heard and respected. In the diverse world we live in, we should try to be gender neutral in the products we work and the jobs we post.
The LEGO Group has been very open about these topics and encourage an inclusive environment by spreading awareness about D&I, unconscious bias and creating a safe space. We have a safe space in our department for Women and LGTBTQ+ community members where we empower each other, become an ally.
WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE TO WOMEN IN TECH LOOKING TO EXCEL AT THE INTERVIEW STAGE?
In one of the market surveys, it was observed that women don’t apply for a job if their profile doesn’t match 100%. This needs to change, we don’t need to know everything before applying for a job. We should always think of it like this sounds interesting, I don’t know all of it but I am curious and ready to learn. No one knows everything.
Interviews are always two-sided. Sometimes, the job profile does not match the skillset you have, and vice-versa. It does not mean you are not qualified; it just means this is not the right job for you, and you must keep trying to find what is right match for you.
I gave so many interviews and faced many rejections, so I was demotivated at one time, but I got up again, started interviewing taking the learning experience from one interview to another and now I am happy where I landed.
IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, DOES BEING A WOMAN IN TECH COME WITH EXTRA MENTAL CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME, SUCH AS DOUBTING YOUR OWN ABILITY?
I believe it depends on how we grew up, the culture that we grew up in. I was taught not to ask questions when I was a child, that stayed with me for a long time. Also, my personality was to just blend in the background. Because of that, I had thoughts if I am good enough for this job, should I speak my mind without fear of getting judged, what would other people think of me.
Luckily, I am now in an environment where I am praised for speaking my mind. I am unlearning what I was taught before.
IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE WOMEN IN TECH CONSIDERING A CAREER IN ENGINEERING THAT YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU?
We should embrace the failures and learn from those. Do not be afraid to try something new, world is full of opportunities and it’s a never-ending learning journey.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS HAVE YOU FOUND MOST USEFUL TO HOLD AS A MEMBER OF THE ENGINEERING TEAM?
Engineering is so vast and contains many different roles. As a developer, I think a college degree in computer science or programming courses can be very useful.
