Review TechWomen program information regarding coronavirus (COVID-19).

TechWomenTechWomen

TechWomen is an Initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

  • Home
  • Program
    • Overview
    • 2022 Action Plans
    • Professional Development
    • Cultural Exchange
    • Delegation Trips
    • Impact
    • TechWomen Covid-19 Program Information
  • Participants
    • Eligibility and Application
    • The Experience
    • Award Details
    • 2022 Emerging Leader Profiles
  • Mentors
    • Why Mentor With TechWomen?
    • Professional Mentor Overview
    • Cultural Mentor Overview
    • Impact Coach Overview
    • TechWomen Mentor Application
  • Get Involved
    • Host an Emerging Leader
    • Host an Event
    • Other Ways to Get Involved
    • Host companies and partners
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Program Countries
    • Connect
  • FAQ
    • General
    • Participants
    • Mentors
  • Blog
  • Log In

Dear 2017 Emerging Leaders: Here are nine things to know as you embark on your #TechWomen17 journey

August 22, 2017 By TechWomen Leave a Comment

Guest post by Diana Nassar, 2016 fellow of Jordan

Diana Nassar, 2016 fellow of Jordan, with Lisa Ramirez, her Professional Mentor.

“Congratulations! You have been selected for TechWomen.”

An email that brought tears of joy to my eyes, as I am sure it did to yours! TechWomen is an amazing journey that I was so lucky to be a part of in 2016. As I was preparing to join the program, my head was flooding with questions about what to expect, what to prepare, who will I meet, what shall I pack, what will I learn and more! To help you prepare for your upcoming participation, I would like to share advice from my personal experience that I wish I had known before I participated in #TechWomen16.

1. Read about your host company.

As you prepare to start your professional mentorship, do some research about your host company’s history, work, people and products. As part of the TechWomen mentorship, you could meet with both junior and seasoned Silicon Valley professionals. The more prepared you are, the bigger the benefit you can attain from such meetings. Think of specific things you would like to know, skills you want to learn and leadership lessons you want to explore. The experience is totally yours to shape!

2. Be ready to meet interesting people.

TechWomen events host a number of inspirational leaders that you do not get to meet daily – perhaps never if it weren’t for the TechWomen experience. When I participated in 2016, the Cultural Kickoff at Twitter included a presentation by Omid Kordestani, Executive Chairman at Twitter – a leader I have always admired and even read books about. You can imagine my enthusiasm when I found out he would be speaking to us that night!

Diana with Omid Kordestani, Executive Chairman of Twitter and Google’s employee #11, during #TechWomen16 Cultural Kickoff at Twitter.

3. Meet people from before the bubble.

Amidst all the glow, it is so easy to forget that it wasn’t always glamorous and geeky in Silicon Valley.

The TechWomen experience is all about inspirational and enlightening discussions with individuals of diverse backgrounds. It is enriching to discuss the transformation of Silicon Valley and to listen to people sharing stories about their lives before the ‘bubble.’ They may tell you about how Silicon Valley became the world’s tech center, the dramatic increase in housing prices, the city’s struggle with supporting its homeless population, the changes in people’s lifestyle and more.

They may even share career development stories that are quite astonishing. I once met with a Senior Director of Marketing at Juniper Networks who told me how he started off selling and marketing computers with a 10MB hard drive!

4. Be ready to speak on panels.

Diana speaks during the #TechWomen16 Community Celebration.

Each one of us Emerging Leaders has a story to share. It is our duty to narrate how we are different and what makes us stand out.

It can be intimidating, but it is such a wonderful feeling to take part in one of the panels arranged by TechWomen, your host company or the Bay Area community. People are interested in hearing about how you made it there, what sets you apart and about your life back home. As much as people are interested in helping you, they are equally interested in knowing what they can learn from you.

You will be surprised to know how much you can offer, and how much people want to listen to you. Be ready to tell the story of your own journey!

5. It’s OK if you don’t have a startup, for real!

I was personally stressed before I arrived in Silicon Valley because I don’t have a startup or even an idea for one. I used to think to myself, “it’s Silicon Valley, everyone has AT LEAST one startup here!”.

But really, it is totally ok if you are not a part of the startup environment. It is the entrepreneurial spirit and our aptitude for innovation and creativity that matters, not the number of startups that we have on our resume. There is a lot for you to learn in this journey even if you have never worked in a startup or dreamed about founding one.

6. Company logos, LOTS of them!

One thing I personally enjoyed about TechWomen is the chance to visit different tech companies across the Bay Area. To save a memory of these visits, I made it a habit to pose for a picture with the logo of each company I visited. Towards the end of the program, I ended up with a beautiful collage that has logos of some of tech’s most interesting companies in it. I encourage you to do the same.

Diana’s #TechWomen16 journey in one picture.

7. #SharingIsCaring

TechWomen is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Try your best to make the most out of it, and think of ways to engage with your community and to share your journey with others.

To share my learnings and excitement, I vlogged and live streamed events from my #TechWomen16 days with the online community. I uploaded all of these videos on my YouTube channel to keep the memories alive. As one of 100 women selected for this experience, I hope you likewise feel inspired to share such unique experiences with your community back home.

8. Be yourself.

TechWomen taught me to never underestimate myself or anyone else. Everyone has something to offer, irrespective of where they come from, their age, gender, religion or background. Everyone adds value.

Be authentic, true to yourself, stick to your values and show the passion that you have. Let that spark in your eyes do the rest.

9. Be ready to make lifelong connections!

TechWomen mentors, Emerging Leaders and the amazing TechWomen team are the true asset of this program. They make all the difference. I was fortunate to have been matched with an amazing mentor who’s been always ready to help, guide and discuss any and everything I had in mind.

The TechWomen community has vast experience and is always happy to support you in every capacity. Be sure to connect with as many individuals as you can, and remember that it is a connection you will keep for years to come. Once a TechWomen fellow, always a TechWomen fellow!

Group photo on the final day of #TechWomen16.

 

I wish you a pleasant #TechWomen journey, and I look forward to learning about your own experiences!

About the Author

Diana Nassar is a 2016 TechWomen fellow of Jordan and a Senior Product Manager at Souq.com. Prior to joining Souq, she was a Senior Software Engineer at Aramex International. She also presents “Doodet Kutob/Bookworm”, a YouTube show about books and reading. Diana served as a Youth Leader at Jordan River Foundation, an NGO run by HM Queen Rania. She helped plan and execute their 2012 summer voluntary program. She is very passionate about driving change through community work and using technology for social impact. Diana completed her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Jordan in 2012.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Email

Filed Under: 2017 Program, Alumnae Tagged With: emerging leaders, guest post, Jordan

Speak Your Mind Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 893 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • 10 Years Later: A Letter to TechWomen
  • TechWomen Pitch Day: A Room Full of Ideas
  • Why is the TechWomen fellowship a remarkable experience?
  • Fellow Lindiwe Matlali is on a Mission to Help Youths Innovate Themselves out of Poverty
  • Weeks Four and Five: Final 10 days of TechWomen Fall 2022 Conclude with Historic Events and Expansion Announcements

Categories

  • 2012 Program
  • 2013 Program
  • 2014 Program
  • 2015 Program
  • 2016 Program
  • 2017 Program
  • 2018 Program
  • 2019 Program
  • 2020 Program
  • 2022 (Fall) Program
  • 2022 program
  • Alumnae
  • Announcements
  • Application Tips
  • Central Asia
  • Conferences
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Delegation Trips
  • Emerging Leader Voices
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Girls Education
  • IIE
  • Impact
  • Lean In
  • Mentor Application
  • Mentoring Girls
  • Mentorship
  • Middle East and North Africa
  • Partnerships
  • Professional Development
  • Scholarship
  • Seed Grant
  • Solar Power
  • STEM
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Washington, D.C.

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Tags

2013 program 2014 program 2015 program Africa Algeria Alumnae application careers central asia Community cultural exchange Cultural Mentor delegation trips Education Egypt emerging leaders emerging women leaders Empowerment Entrepreneurship guest post impact Jordan kazakhstan Leadership MENA Mentees Mentor Mentors mentorship Middle East Morocco nigeria Rwanda San Francisco Silicon Valley State Department STEM technology TechWomen TechWomen Alumni Tunisia U.S. Department of State Women women in tech womenintech

Blogroll

  • DipNote
  • E-Mediat
  • Fulbright mtvU Fellows
  • Fulbright Student Program
  • Gilman Program
  • Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Project Blog
  • IIE Opening Minds
  • Parallel Earth
  • TechGirls
  • Women’s Enterprise for Sustainability

CONTACT US | MEDIA | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Sitemap
Copyright © 2023 TechWomen | Site by MIGHTYminnow

   

Copyright © 2023 · TechWomen on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...