“You don't manage people; you manage things. You lead people.”
-Grace Hopper
American computer scientist & United States Navy rear admiral
Meeting boss women leaders in fields like technology is simply whole new level of cool.
Jennifer is a Director of User Experience Design at Glassdoor as well as mentor, speaker, and leader with TechWomen. I had the privilege of hearing her speak in San Francisco at an event that TechWomen was hosting to share about the work being done in mentoring other young women in the areas of techpreneurship in Sierra Leone.
Jennifer is one of the many leaders representing women in technology and I am excited to share with you all these final images (and her insight!) from her photoshoot with Heartbox Photography.
Happy Wednesday!
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Images by Heartbox Photography
Hair & makeup by Daisy Gonzalez-Duarte of Beautiful One Makeup Artistry
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Can you tell me a bit about you as a person and what you find most rewarding about your work?
I work in user experience design for the software industry. I’ve been doing this for at least 15 years - I’ve kind of lost track at this point. It’s a career I sort of stumbled into - I’d never heard of user experience design when I was in school.
My first job out of college was at a software consulting company, and to be honest, I didn’t love it. When I joined a project with a guy in this new role of user experience design, I realized why. Despite our best intentions, we weren’t delivering a good product because we weren’t thinking about how people actually use software, just what the programs needed to do. So I made the switch and never looked back.
Today, I lead a team of 6 designers at Glassdoor, with the goal of creating tools for job seekers and employers that are as intuitive and enjoyable to use as possible. The hiring process is stressful enough for everyone already, so we feel really good when we can deliver a product that in some way helps. But what I find most rewarding these days is the chance I have to mentor my team and help my organization strive for the best experience possible.
What are some things that you would want women to know with regards to any of the following topics: self-confidence, beauty, education, women in the tech and science fields?Beauty is very personal. It’s more than a cliche when they say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, because it’s not just about what one personally think is beautiful, it’s also what you focus on. So when you feel ugly and your inner critic is stomping on your self confidence, try changing your focus. No matter how much of a mess you think you are, there is always something beautiful about you.
Bad hair day?
Focus on how your eyes sparkle.
Puffy eyes from lack of sleep?
Think about how engaging your smile is.
Focus on the things you like about yourself, not the things you hate. And remind yourself that just because you couldn’t stop thinking about that pimple, other people are just as likely to have missed it because your eyes were sparkling or smile was so engaging.
When it comes to women in tech and science, especially here in Silicon Valley, I think it’s important to know that the first computer programmers were women.
In fact, programming languages as we know them today were first invented by a woman, Grace Hopper. Women can absolutely be successful in a field that was started in large part by women.
Best advice you ever received?
Whenever you’re upset with someone in your life, a coworker that you think is working against you or a family member you think has been thoughtless, remember to stop and ask yourself what you really, truly know about the situation.
Our brains love stories, and they are hard wired to fill in gaps and create those stories. But the story your mind creates might be wrong. So hold off on judging someone else’s motivations. Tell them what you see and ask them to fill in the gaps for you.
What do you appreciate most about your life now?
I am fortunate to have the opportunity and ability to travel. Not just because I get to take great vacations, but also because I get to meet and connect with new people and different cultures.
Sometimes you see better ways of doing something. Sometimes you realize how much worse things could be than the life you were granted.
And sometimes it’s just a different lens on the same situation that makes you see something in a new light.
Seeing first hand the variety of experience others have of the world has made me both grateful for what I have and mindful of what I might be able to do better.
