In the concluding segment of a Women in Engineering Leadership panel recorded on International Women’s Day, the moderator asks each panelist to share a single piece of advice for aspiring female engineers. Indra emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself as a way to combat imposter syndrome. Sarangini (Speaker C) adds that believing in oneself, speaking up, asking questions, and staying inquisitive are essential, urging women not to hold back or over‑think decisions. Deborah (Speaker D) echoes these points, highlighting bravery, confidence, curiosity, and authenticity as guiding principles that have helped her navigate challenges. The moderator thanks the panelists and the audience, noting the significance of celebrating strong female engineering leaders on International Women’s Day.
Chapters
Very close to our time. I guess we can just end maybe with sort of, you know, do you have one piece of advice that you would give to, you know, aspiring female engineers? Or if you could tell yourself, your younger self, something, what would that piece of advice be? And we can end on that. So Indra, you're on my screen, so you're up.
Okay, I'll go first. Sure. I think that is— I'll echo something that I said earlier. Be true to yourself. Be true to yourself. Be true to yourself. Be true to yourself. I find if I'm true to myself, I can— so much more is possible. When I'm trying to be someone else, back to imposter syndrome, when I'm actually actively trying to be an imposter, it doesn't work out. So be true to yourself.
Yeah, and I would also add like believe in yourself. Absolutely. Don't let somebody tell you what you can and cannot do. Don't be shy. Don't— I mean, be opinionated, speak your mind. You can do all of that in a respectful manner. You don't have to be rude about it, but please don't hold back. Several women I've seen, we think through everything in the and the point of time has moved on, right? And we just hold on to our thoughts and we should have done this, we could have done this, we should have, we need to do this, but don't think through everything. It's okay to be wrong sometimes. And I know you all have heard the saying of there's no such thing as a dumb question. Initially, I didn't buy that. I'm like, oh no, what are these people gonna think about me if I ask this question? But ultimately, you don't know everything. So it's okay to ask. In fact, be inquisitive, be interrogative, peel the onion layer by layer until you get to the core, right? So definitely be yourself. And just don't compromise on, on your core values and beliefs, right? If you can do that, the rest will follow.
Great advice. All right, Deborah, you get the last word.
I— there's not much more to say. I totally agree. I think we all share in those pieces of advice, and a lot of that comes from our experiences, right? Be true to yourself, be brave, be curious, um, you know, and have confidence in, in what you think. And certainly, yes, everything can be done in a diplomatic way, but it— I think we've all learned and have come to those conclusions in different paths, but for the same reasons, right? It's worked. It's been a helpful way to navigate through the challenges and has paid dividends. So again, be true to yourself and be brave and confident and curious and go forward from there.
All right, well, Deborah, Sarangini, Indra, thank you so much for your inspiring words of wisdom and sharing your stories with us. It was really great to hear, especially on International Women's Day. So appreciate having so many of our customers who have strong female leaders in engineering. I feel very, very fortunate to work with all of you and hope everyone enjoyed the panel. And thank you very much.
