In this episode, Vidya Srinivasan and I cover tips to navigate a career as a woman in tech (career advice). Watch this video to learn more about increasing visibility at work. 

Highlights of our conversation: 

1. Be open to experimenting: Give yourself some grace to make mistakes and figure out what works for you.
2. Bias is not just external: As women in tech, we encounter unconscious and sometimes conscious bias from external sources. However, we also internalize the social norms to have our own bias which stands in the way of our success. Learn to identify it so you can work on it.
3. It is your decision: Don't let anyone define your career. Only YOU get to shape it. You and your family are the only ones who need to be OK with your career decisions. Do what is right for you.
4. Speak up: It is the easiest to stay silent. Respond to external bias and stand up for yourself. When you speak up, you are standing up for all women who might encounter that situation in the future.
5. Your job is not your career: Your career can be multi-dimensional. Take time to decide how you want to shape each aspect of your career depending on the given stage of your life.   

About Vidya: Vidya is a Senior Product Manager in big tech. She loves building products and has filed 21 patents for her work. Her side hustles include speaking at tech events, singing, and leading D&I initiatives. She has given over 75 talks on a broad range of product, technical and career topics. She is also a trained Indian classical singer. She has had the honor of being the General Chair of 2019, 2020, and 2021 Grace Hopper Conferences.

#PBPPodcast #CareerAdvice #womenintech

In this episode, Julia Rock and I talk about some secrets and strategies to lessen the window of the wait between you and your dream job. Get Noticed to Get Hired by building a powerful Personal Brand that helps you stand out.

Highlights of the conversation:
1. To get a job, you have to position yourself differently from everyone else in your industry.
2. You have to show what you want to be known for. Don't get lost in the crowd. Find what unique perspective you can bring to the table.
3. For effective job hunting, don't restrict your knowledge to just your resume. Share it and show the potential recruiters what value you can offer.
4. Companies don't just hire people for their expertise. They hire people who can fit their culture.
5. Don't forget that your recruiter is also a human. Add a personal touch to the entire process
6. The job description is your cheat code. Use that to customize your resume
7. Strategies to draft an effective Resume, Optimize your LinkedIn Profile, and ace the "Tell me about yourself" question.
8. Value yourself throughout the process. 9. You are a whole person. Don't hesitate to showcase the different aspects of your personality.

About Julia: Julia C. Rock is the owner of Rock Career Development, a career solutions firm that helps ambitious Black and POC professionals breakthrough career plateaus to earn more income and secure fulfilling job opportunities. Julia is a career and leadership development coach, Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP).

#GetHired #KetakiVaidya #PBPPodcast