SheSTEM – Fireside Chat & Career Guidance Workshop
Not long ago, I was sitting in university auditoriums just like the students at AIUB, listening intently to guest speakers, scribbling down notes, and wondering what it would take to build a lasting career in technology.
Recently, I had the honor of returning to that setting—this time on the other side of the podium. At the Fireside Chat & Career Guidance Workshop, organized by the AIUB Computer Club in collaboration with a2i’s SheSTEM initiative, I joined fellow tech leaders to speak directly with the next generation of engineers.
The session, centered around the theme “Career Knows No Gender,” was an opportunity to have an honest, grounded conversation about what working in the tech industry actually entails, especially for women navigating male-dominated spaces.
1. Stop Comparing Your Day 1 to Someone Else’s Year 10
One of the most common pitfalls early-career engineers face is imposter syndrome driven by comparison. Looking at senior engineers, tech leads, or polished LinkedIn profiles can make your current progress feel inadequate. Growth in software engineering is iterative. Every debugging session, failed build, and small breakthrough contributes to your foundation. Be patient, acknowledge every milestone, and focus on your own trajectory.
2. Practical Foundations Over Hype
When discussing career preparation, we stripped away the generic advice and focused on what hiring managers and engineering leads actually look for:
- Targeted, Clean CVs: Tailor your resume to highlight concrete problem-solving and project impact rather than generic task lists.
- An Intentional LinkedIn Presence: Treat your profile not just as a static resume, but as a living record of your learning journey, technical curiosity, and community engagement.
- Demonstrated Code: Clean repositories, well-documented side projects, and continuous problem-solving matter far more than buzzwords on paper.
3. Navigating the Room with Confidence
During our interactive Q&A, several students asked about thriving in predominantly male engineering teams. My takeaway for them was simple: technical capability is only half the equation; clear, assertive communication is the other. Never hesitate to state your ideas clearly, defend your technical decisions with data, and actively seek out mentors who challenge and advocate for you.
Events like SheSTEM remind us of the critical gap between academic enrollment and industry retention for women in STEM. Bridging that gap doesn’t just happen through policy—it happens through visible representation, open conversations, and accessible mentorship.
To the students who attended: keep building, stay persistent, and remember that everyone on stage once sat in the very same seats you occupy today.
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