Author: Adam Sidiali
Found in section: News
From left to right: Doris Quan, Krystianne Avedian, Isabelle Shiang
Women have dealt with prejudice and bias in the workplace for generations. A panel discussion held on March 10 proved to be a small yet noteworthy turning point for women. With six panel members, each from respectable positions in the business world, the dialogue confirmed that women now have the ability to reach new heights in their careers.
Sonja Knoll, a lead software design engineer on Microsoft’s Bing team, has 15 years experience in the IT industry. She is in a position that, 15 years ago, no woman would have thought possible. “There is always opportunity, even if it’s not straightforward,” said Knoll.
Isabelle Shiang and Jeanette Jarvis, both present on the panel, also work at Microsoft, a company comprised mostly of men. Nonetheless, the number of women there is consistently growing. “If you know that you’re good at something, do it and push yourself to be successful,” said Shiang, currently employed as a senior product manager at Microsoft, a highly respected position.
Besides looking for open opportunities, “What’s important is the willingness to take risks,” said Doris Quan, an entrepreneur and business owner. “It’s much more adventurous, and it is really satisfying when you succeed, plus you never know what’s going to happen. I have had a lot of jobs, from online writing to project management. Now I’m running my third company!”
Krystianne Avedian, a ten-year veteran at Capgemini, answered a question regarding employment law and challenges in the workplace. “The most important thing to me is how I carry myself through this world. That’s how people will see me.”
Knoll continued on the point, saying, “It is important for us all to unite and make an effort to break through the glass ceiling. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean we can’t break through it and achieve greater things.”
The panelists agreed that a major part of being successful as a female in the workplace is how you market yourself to the rest of the business society. “You need to really sell your value,” said Jarvis, a Microsoft CSS Security group program manager. “You’re never going to succeed if you don’t believe in what you’re doing. Similarly, you’re never going to succeed if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing.”
Now that women have more opportunities in the business world, it is essential to find a field in which one enjoys working. BC student Anas Elmesai asked by how it was to work as a software developer. Answers varied from one end of the spectrum to the other. Shiang responded that it was extremely boring to her to sit behind a desk programming all day. Knoll argued that she looked forward each morning to her day of coding new applications. Within the panel, opinions differed regarding the ideal field of work. “It really depends what your inspiration is, and what interests you,” as Shiang put it.
Summing things up, Avedian said, “You have to be comfortable with who you are. There’s not one right way to go, and that’s the magic.”
With numerous fields and opportunities for women today, it is only a matter of skills and interests that present any man or woman an opportunity in the workplace.
Women have dealt with prejudice and bias in the workplace for generations. A panel discussion held on March 10 proved to be a small yet noteworthy turning point for women. With six panel members, each from respectable positions in the business world, the dialogue confirmed that women now have the ability to reach new heights in their careers.
Sonja Knoll, a lead software design engineer on Microsoft’s Bing team, has 15 years experience in the IT industry. She is in a position that, 15 years ago, no woman would have thought possible. “There is always opportunity, even if it’s not straightforward,” said Knoll.
Isabelle Shiang and Jeanette Jarvis, both present on the panel, also work at Microsoft, a company comprised mostly of men. Nonetheless, the number of women there is consistently growing. “If you know that you’re good at something, do it and push yourself to be successful,” said Shiang, currently employed as a senior product manager at Microsoft, a highly respected position.
Besides looking for open opportunities, “What’s important is the willingness to take risks,” said Doris Quan, an entrepreneur and business owner. “It’s much more adventurous, and it is really satisfying when you succeed, plus you never know what’s going to happen. I have had a lot of jobs, from online writing to project management. Now I’m running my third company!”
Krystianne Avedian, a ten-year veteran at Capgemini, answered a question regarding employment law and challenges in the workplace. “The most important thing to me is how I carry myself through this world. That’s how people will see me.”
Knoll continued on the point, saying, “It is important for us all to unite and make an effort to break through the glass ceiling. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean we can’t break through it and achieve greater things.”
The panelists agreed that a major part of being successful as a female in the workplace is how you market yourself to the rest of the business society. “You need to really sell your value,” said Jarvis, a Microsoft CSS Security group program manager. “You’re never going to succeed if you don’t believe in what you’re doing. Similarly, you’re never going to succeed if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing.”
Now that women have more opportunities in the business world, it is essential to find a field in which one enjoys working. BC student Anas Elmesai asked by how it was to work as a software developer. Answers varied from one end of the spectrum to the other. Shiang responded that it was extremely boring to her to sit behind a desk programming all day. Knoll argued that she looked forward each morning to her day of coding new applications. Within the panel, opinions differed regarding the ideal field of work. “It really depends what your inspiration is, and what interests you,” as Shiang put it.
Summing things up, Avedian said, “You have to be comfortable with who you are. There’s not one right way to go, and that’s the magic.”
With numerous fields and opportunities for women today, it is only a matter of skills and interests that present any man or woman an opportunity in the workplace.
