Do what you Love & Love what you Do

I recently had the pleasure to share my career journey at Tech4Dev Women Techsters Open Day event.?I have to say I had a great time answering questions and seeing a high level of engagement from the audience hoping to have succeeded in inspiring some of them to kick start their tech careers.?

So, as a strong advocate for womenintech, a mentor with few entities such as Tech4Dev, WoMenaIT, I thought of extending the conversation to a wider audience here to make impact, have more of the young gen consider careers in STEM, help shape and guide them to succeed.

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Q. Why did you study Computer Science and decide to start a career in tech at a time when it was unpopular??

A. Actually I am glad I did!!! Makes me super proud whenever I have to present myself or give the 30 secs elevator pitch to say an accomplished computer scientist and global tech leader -?woo!!! Having majored in CS?provided me with a foundation of knowledge, problem solving and logical thinking, which proved to be a competitive edge in my career, open widely for opportunities

So why CS? I saw this as the future, where computing jobs where there to stay. I always loved science and maths, numbers, so basically into STEM , born and raised in a scientific and academic family. I wanted to join the American University in Cairo and study CS rather than exploring a more traditional path of engineering, as you mention, it was not that popular at that time, so going for a challenge is what I like to do, for something different as we say in business early adopters of an innovation and you know different is better as we used to say in Lenovo

Obviously that led to me pursue my career in tech and from there I never wanted to shift or change. I even remember when doing my Exec MBA at HEC in Paris, I was always challenged by my colleagues why you do not want to shift careers, why do you love so much IBM, and I used to say it’s not an option, I simply love tech!

Q. Asides being the Former Country Director for Andela Egypt, you have led several global teams across different continents, cultures and unique experience at IBM, Lenovo, and Dell. How would you describe your career experience thus far and what set you up to attain this height, especially as a woman and in the part of Africa where you reside??

A. A journey of success, of pride and thrill...More than 2 decades of continuous learning & growth. Nothing can describe or express my gratitude for those 20+ yrs. A diverse and international journey that helped shape who I am today:

Wherever I go, my mission is to make a difference, build success and leave a legacy.?

What set me up to where I reached, first and foremost thank you God for your blessing and always there for me:) , then a

passion for work, determination & perseverance, hard work, integrity and adopting a servant leadership style.

Having the grit needed to keep going and never standing still. But, needless to say, and here I refer back to what I said earlier, as a?CS major and having started my career technical as a system engineer, product manager is what built the foundation of everything and became the catalyst of my career growth, for my success.?

Having said that, as a woman, I never considered the “women at work or in tech” as a topic of gender challenges - true,?there were many bumps on my way, but I always believed in myself, I am a warrior type of person ...so I was eventually making it thank God.

Q. You also have experience coaching and mentoring these tech startups. For the benefit of tech enthusiasts who are in this meeting today, please tell us the importance of mentorship for women who have just begun their tech careers, women who are learning one tech skill or the other, and those who will be challenged to learn after this Open Day event??

A. True, as well as mentoring individuals, and actually as we speak now, I will be starting to mentor at Women Of MENA In Technology- So yes,?mentorship can play a key role in your success. No matter which stage you are at, what skills you have, as a woman in tech you might at some point experience doubt, fears, failures or worry that you are not good enough, no way I can make it … It’s those moments of uncertainty that having a mentor with you can make the difference, help you navigate when the tough gets going.?

He or she will be a source of encouragement to you, sometimes challenging you, building or restoring your confidence, improve your skills, help you set your career goals and guide you through and identify potential opportunities. Net of net, you’ve got someone with you in the journey to grow both on a personal and professional level.

So go find a mentor, someone that you highly regard and respect. Someone that has the experience you’d love to replicate, and most importantly an approachable person wanting to give back. You know I prefer from my experience someone whom you are very comfortable with, be it a colleague, a boss, a family member, a friend, someone you can easily have access to and forge a solid relationship with. And there will be many in your career journey, depending where and when you are at this point.?I consider myself blessed to have had many of those ones, to have crossed paths with a huge number of people whom I was fortunate enough to call friends, colleagues, teammates and family!

?Q. In the pursuit to build the future of tech in Africa, what are your final words of encouragement to our women??

A. A lot:?

The world is changing...

Technology is developing at a phenomenal pace and disrupting businesses and as a result the world is requiring more engineers, developers, coders, data analysts to run the business.?...

As Marc Andresson, a cofounder of a venture capital wrote:?

Software is eating the world, embedded in our day-to - day and only few industries if none are immune.

As a matter of fact, today a new age of tech-focused leaders is emerging too, why?

It’s been proven?that tech literate leaders deliver improved efficiency, greater innovation and better customer experience.?

So do we need to say more?

This is the era of bits and bytes, the main niche has become those who can speak the digital language: those who can code.

And in this rapidly evolving tech field, the players, the skills needed change fast, and it’s up to you girls to explore, learn and succeed, while in the process discover what works best for you.

Grow your skills, you will need to take it upon yourself to continuously evolve your skills, and stay on top of the industry trends.

And finally go girls go , get yourself a place in tech, today it’s time for tech and it’s time for women in tech.

Q. You were a Strategic Advisor for various startups while working at Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. In your experience, what would you say are common success factors for women who are considering tech careers??

A. One:

You are in charge of your career

Yes you would be speaking with your boss, mentors and others, but at the end of the day, it’s you who is accountable for your career goals, who needs to spot the opportunity and go after it.?

And best is to look for your next move, your next job when you do not need it. Unfortunately this is a vital tip that I wish I had it during my mid career time as it costs me a lot and dear by not doing so.?

Two:

Invest in building a strong professional network

You will always need them. Stay in touch with them, be visible and thanks to tech now with Linkedin, FB and now even Clubhouse, you can be more visible so hopefully opportunities will land to you rather than you seek them.?

And last but not least, given the dynamic competitive environment we’re in when we talk tech industry, there will?always be work to do, never ending, which could be a recipe for burnout - so caution pls here: it’s critical to set boundaries if you want a pleasant rewarding career. Which means, have something else in your life, hobbies, sport, social activity, take your times off/vacation.

Hard work really makes a difference and if you want to be 'successful', you should work hard.

Rest really makes a difference and if you want to be 'successful', you should rest.

Balance is the key, a balance that optimizes your effectiveness & more importantly, your happiness

Keep going and never stand still

Do what you love and love what you do.?

Dare to dream, believe in yourself, follow your passion and help build a better world in the journey.?

Don’t be shy!

Thank you for having me today, I hope I could have a positive uplifting influence on you young girls and ladies, light a fire and have you say this is it: Love to be a woman in tech or I want to be a woman in tech!!

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If you can spare some 40mns, and want to listen to the conversation, it's here: Tech4Dev Techsters Open Day

And now what? Well, I am not done yet and firmly believe more is yet to come...for me to learn and give back