DEVELOP[HER]

The road to a successful career does not come without rough patches, as made evident by Trunk Club’s VP of Engineering, Candice Savino. Through trial and error, this tech leader has mapped her own destiny by making her impact known, after 14 years of climbing her impressive career ladder. In The DevelopHer Show’s premiere episode, Lauren talks to Candice about how their fellow female-techies can overcome industry roadblocks by making small yet effective actions.

You Need to Have the Hard Skills AND the Soft Skills.

Your technical abilities are remarkable, but to succeed and grow within the industry, you need to grasp the psychological component. What motivates your co-workers? How can you help them grow? Can you empathize with others? How do you communicate with your team? Don’t wait to be told that you should uphold some management skills.

Don’t Shy Away from the Ask

The simple action of asking for help can truly skyrocket your career in tech. Identify and reach out to your heroes. The worst that can happen is that they say no. The best that can happen is that you find an invaluable mentor to guide you through the highs and lows of your profession. You have to ask for what you need.

Learn to Communicate Effectively While Staying True to What Feels Authentic

Women in tech are commonly introverts, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be leaders. Hone the skills needed to make those around you aware of the impact you are making. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Take the Engineering Approach and Understand that You are Not Alone

It can be shocking to enter an environment at which you are the odd woman out, facing unconscious bias. Do your research, identify the moving pieces, apply your solution and you will see that many women can relate. Learn to navigate and depersonalize situations so you can be the smart woman in tech that you are.

It’s not just one big quantum leap; it’s a lot of small actions and movements.