Reflecting on an uplifting evening of cross-generational connection
(To watch a recording of this year’s event, please click here).
Another Women in Technology event has come and gone, and to say it was a success would be a severe understatement. The connections and conversations that were fostered across multiple generations of women, both in-person and virtually, were palpable and invigorating, and left us all with a feeling of adrenaline-fueled inspiration. There is nothing quite like coming together as a community to share personal stories and hopes for the future. We are better together!
WIT2024 hosted a panelist of women in technology from four different generations: “Baby Boomers”, Generation X, “Millennials”, and Generation Z. Read on for some highlights from the evening, and to learn more about the lively discussions we were lucky enough to be a part of.
The moment(s) they were inspired to enter the tech space
Within a wide range of experiences, there were moments of common ground. Two of our panelists, our Gen Z-er and our Baby Boomer, both “fell into the space” by being introduced to the world of technology in college. Our Millennial was inspired by a friend’s mom, a manufacturing engineer, which encouraged her to enter the world of electrical engineering. In her own words “seeing someone like you ‘doing the thing’ helped inspire me [to do it too]”. The final panelist stressed how important it was to evolve into the world over time, as “many of the roles available now didn’t exist when [she] first entered the workforce”. She had to wait for the technologies to be developed for the roles to be created.
Impactful mentors they had along the way
An interesting difference between the older and newer generations is the way they approach mentorship. Our two more experienced panelists agreed that they “never sought out a formal mentor…maybe it’s a generational thing?” Instead, they leaned on trusted peers and informal sounding boards who helped them advance their careers. They also agreed that mentoring didn’t used to be a well-known term; “it was more about having leaders who saw potential in you and gave you opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have.” Now, however, women who are just starting out in their careers are directly asking leaders and senior team members to act as their mentors. “The younger generations are better about asking for what they want”. This was also echoed in the chat from our virtual audience, with several members commenting that their companies had recently started formal IT mentorship programs and they had been incredibly impactful so far.
Something they admire about one of the other generations
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two younger members of our panel admired and appreciated their more experienced counterparts for their efforts at leading the way. “You both helped pave the way” so that women of today could follow in their paths. Refreshingly, the Millennial and Gen Z-er also received praise, as our panelists highlighted how they are better at advocating for themselves and others, setting strong work life balance boundaries, and accepting others as they are. Every generation has something they can learn from another!
“Mom Guilt”, “Imposter Syndrome”, and the Power of Language
When it came time for questions from the audience, our panelist were presented by several connecting and validating questions. How do you overcome “mom guilt” when returning to work after maternity leave? How do you overcome feelings of self-doubt and “imposter syndrome”? An important aspect of this section was the power that comes with “naming the demon”, so to speak; finding the words that accurately describe the emotions or experiences you are having. “Mom Guilt” perfectly encompasses so much of what that mom is feeling – sadness for leaving her child, guilt for wanting a career, an identity crisis between being “mom” and being who she is in the rest of her relationships. “Imposter Syndrome” (originally coined in a 1978 psych paper as “imposter phenomenon”) is a unifying term that so many of us feel when we are unsure we are worthy or deserving of our place in our companies or our teams.
Our panelists were ready. Regarding Mom Guilt: “seeing your kids thrive and do well helps make everything okay.” Also echoed in our virtual chat: “your kids will always be proud of their rock star mom!”. They emphasized that we go through seasons in our lives, and while sometimes it may feel very difficult to juggle being a mom with being a professional, other times it will feel much easier. Regarding Imposter Syndrome: you’re already there, you’ve already gotten the job. “You wouldn’t have that job if you weren’t capable of doing it.” You have to believe in yourself as much as others believe in you, and part of that starts by trying to lift up others as well. We are #bettertogether!
Tradition versus innovation, work life versus personal life, trying to “have it all” versus wondering whether you want it all – the conversation and the rapport was fresh and gripping and we were sad when the night had to end. Make sure to check out the recording of the full event here and stay tuned for more information on our Spring 2025 WIT event!
Special Thank you to our sponsors, Diversity Workforce Coalition and Market Street Talent!
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