Solarian Spotlight: SolarWinds Spectacular Female Tech Stars

We celebrated International Women's Day earlier this month on March 8th and highlighted some of our female leaders in our previous Solarian Spotlight, but we're recognizing our inspirational female colleagues all month in honor of Women's History Month. As an equal opportunity employer, we're committed to fostering a gender-equal workplace by challenging gender stereotypes, calling out discrimination, drawing attention to bias, and seeking out inclusion at work and in our communities For our second spotlight, I connected with several of our female tech professionals to learn more about them, where they find inspiration, and tips they have for other women navigating the male-dominated tech space. Each respondent not only holds her own in tech but also upholds our CARE values of Collaboration, Accountability, Readiness, and Empathy in all they do and contribute to SolarWinds. In this Solarian Spotlight, our tech stars cover everything from inspiration to mentorship. With our Women@SolarWinds employee resource group, there is a focus on mentorship, ensuring we are all supporting each other. Each response leaves us thankful we count them as Solarians and have the opportunity to work with them.

What is one thing inspiring you or keeping you motivated when you stumble off track?

Chandni Jaswal, Senior Product Manager

I find inspiration in reflecting on my daily experiences and accomplishments. If, at the end of each day, I can identify one act of selflessness that I performed and one meaningful thing that I learned, then I know that I'm moving in the right direction. This practice helps me to stay grounded, focused and motivated as I navigate through life's challenges and opportunities. It also allows me to cultivate a sense of purpose and fulfillment in both my personal and professional endeavors.

Alexandra Skyslakova, Associate Software Engineer

To stay motivated, it helps me to see the results of my work. It's really hard for me to work on something where results are not visible for a longer period of time. When I work on something, I tend to split the problem into smaller milestones and reach them one by one. However, by the result I don't mean only the code. It is even more important to me if I can help somebody with their problem, I feel like my work during the day was meaningful.

What is something you wish you knew when you were starting out?

Vidya T L, Senior Staff Program Manager

Take more risks and allow yourself to fail and make more mistakes. Stop overthinking and push yourself constantly. I wish somebody had told me there are no shortcuts to success.

What three things do you believe future women leaders must do/develop to be successful?

Marketa Boudova, Associate Data Scientist

• Be confident, stay humble: It is crucial to be confident in order to fulfill your potential. Believe in yourself and stand firm. Yet, stay humble. From every piece of feedback, you can learn something valuable which can help you to grow.
• Be a lifelong learner: Search for the possibilities to learn new things no matter what career stage you are in. Explore, be flexible and take the initiative to overcome all new challenges that come in your way. Step out of your comfort zone to try new things, so your skill set can expand.
• Accept failure: Failure is an inevitable part of our careers. It is important to embrace it. Failure helps us to learn from our mistakes and move us forward. Instead of feeling dread, accept the failure, which can be the first step for success.

Pooja Sherawat, Staff Software Engineer

1. Help others whenever and wherever required.
2. Take risks and always be ready to accept failures.
3. Keep yourself motivated and be a lifelong learner.

What is a key lesson you've learned you would like to pass on to other women in tech?

Vidya T L, Senior Staff Program Manager

Finding somebody who pushes you out of the box and can see your potential is important. Having a mentor as they cheer for you and provide feedback and advice as required is very important. Mentors have played an important role in my career path, from pointing out my strengths to motivating me to take up roles I did not believe I could do. On the other hand, it's also important to give back and mentor others. Also, mentoring others can make you aware of the unique value you bring to the table.

How have mentors influenced your career, and how do you see your role in mentorship?

Chandni Jaswal, Senior Product Manager

I have been lucky to have many amazing mentors on my journey. I look to mentors for guidance when I'm confused, need advice, or a casual conversation at times. I have learned from their stories and by seeing them navigate challenging situations. I believe it also acts as a window into another role. However, I think it is also important as a mentee to be able to leverage the opportunity to learn and grow. It should always be a space of mutual growth for both.

Learn more about SolarWinds

At SolarWinds, we CARE. Our core values are Collaborative, Accountable, Ready, and Empathetic. We pride ourselves on embodying these values when working with customers, shareholders, partners, other employees, and the communities in which we live. We're thankful for all Solarians, but this month, we are especially thankful for our female leaders and tech professionals I connected with for this spotlight. Without them, SolarWinds would not be the innovative leader it is today and be a little less bright! To learn more about our Women@SolarWinds employee resource group, check out this video. SolarWinds continues to grow across all sites and departments (engineering, IT, marketing, and sales), constantly adding new positions. Our Global Internship Program partners with students early in their careers in collaborative research and development work, work-study opportunities, and specialized learning activities. If you're interested in working for an industry leader and joining a culture focused on learning and collaboration, check out our career opportunities.