Lean into your strengths

What are the myths that you would like to dispel about working in tech??

“You need to know how to code to have a tech career”. I personally never experienced a single situation in my consulting career in which I considered it a disadvantage of not having pursued a classical computer science education. I value my academic background in communication science and my “social science lens” as an asset I can bring to the table in addition to the IT knowledge I acquired throughout the years.? Different backgrounds lead to heterogeneous perspectives - which is a key success factor when solving challenging client problems.??

What do you find most motivating about your role as a Platinion Manager at BCG??

The variety of projects and teams, having a lasting impact as a team, and that one moment when a previously critical client first notices that we can actually help them navigate in the right direction.???

What is something you wish you knew before entering the industry???

Frankly there is nothing – tech is ever evolving. Whatever knowledge I would have created in advance would have been outdated shortly after.

Thus, what I am striving for and looking for in others is much more a “learning mindset” instead of a specific tech capability.??

Have you experienced biases in tech and if so, how did you combat them??

None of us act completely “bias-free”, neither in a private nor in a professional environment. Hence, we are by default facing – negative or also positive – biases of others.

If the biases are negative, my experience taught me that there is much more value in focusing on your objectives than getting distracted by getting into a combat or crusade with others. Often this alone serves the cause of devaluing the bias at hand.??

Describe a situation where you felt empowered or used your voice to empower others??

I got my first full-time job as a Change and Communication Lead in a big IT transformation program, my entry ticket into the tech industry, thanks to a referral from my former boss at a working student position. Since then, I have tried to take her as a role model by looking out for opportunities for others to shine.?

Do you think enough is done to help women get into the tech industry??

It is great to see the increasing effort that is spent on getting women interested in the tech industry; the number of women in tech conferences, mentorship programs and in entry level positions is constantly increasing. Yet, little is done to make the tech place a world they choose to stay in. Hiring diverse talents is only the first baby step of leveraging diversity in an organization – the more difficult yet also more fruitful job is for us leaders to rethink organizational charts, workflows and performance metrics in a way it accommodates the newly created diversity.?

If you could give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to do what you do, what would it be??

Focus on what strengths you bring to the table and do not be afraid of thinking and acting “differently” – even if it is exhausting.?