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100 Years of Female Innovation

February 3rd, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

The number of women who are filing and receiving patents has been steadily growing since the Patent Act of 1790. In fact, according to a new study by the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC.gov) in 2010, there was a 35% increase in patents received by women over the previous year! This is an unprecedented leap over increase in patents held by women in the past, which generally fluctuates between 5-10%.

Female innovators are nothing new—throughout history we’ve witnessed some of the most ingenious innovations come from the minds of women. However, the increase in patents filed by women signifies a higher participation in start-ups and revenue creation which should be celebrated during Women’s History Month. The following is a brief timeline of female innovators that have improved our lives during the 20th and 21st centuries.

1930: Ruth Wakefield

Ruth Wakefield was a dietitian by trade before she bought a toll house outside of Boston. Wakefield and her husband converted the toll house into an inn and restaurant. In 1930, while experimenting with an old recipe, Wakefield added pieces of a Nestle chocolate bar into the batter and the rest is history! Although she never applied for a patent, at Wakefield’s suggestion, Nestle began scoring their chocolate to make it easier for people to add it to cookies. In exchange, she received free chocolate for life!

1942: Hedy Lamar

Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr was mostly known for her movies, but when WWII threatened her new country, she was determined to help.  Although she knew little about electronics, she came up with an idea for preventing messages from being read by the Nazis.  Along with co-inventor George Anthiel, she developed a way to manipulate radio frequencies at irregular intervals between transmission and reception, eventually being awarded a US patent for her efforts.

1949: Marion Donovan

In 1946, Marion Donovan created the “Boater,” a plastic cover fashioned from her shower curtains and meant to be worn around a cloth diaper. She also replaced the safety pins commonly used on diapers with snap fasteners. First sold in 1949 at the Saks flagship store in New York City, patents were issued two years later, in 1951. Unlike the rubber baby pants that were currently in use, Donovan’s Boaters avoided diaper rash and were safer than standard diapers.

1957: Rachel Fuller Brown & Elizabeth Lee Hazen

Brown and Hazen collaborated on the first successful fungus-fighting drug, which has implications from curing topical fungal infections to killing fungus on priceless artwork. Theirs was a long-distance relationship which consisted of sending soil samples back-and-forth between Albany and New York City. They named the compound “Nystatin” after New York State.

1958: Bette Nesmith Graham

Bette Nesmith Graham was a high school dropout who created one of the most useful products to compliment the newly invented electric typewriter. Since the new model’s carbon ribbon made it impossible to correct errors, secretaries would often spend hours re-typing pages that contained one or two typos. Inspired by how window display painters would simply pain over their errors, she created a mixture using her blender to combine a water-based tempera paint with dye that matched her company’s stationary. Hilariously, her product was in such demand that Graham was fired for distributing “Mistake Out.” This unemployment was a boon as she was able to perfect her mixture and renamed the product Liquid Paper. She received her patent in 1958.

1964: Stephanie Kwolek

Stephanie Kwolek majored in chemistry and minored in biology at Carnegie-Mellon University. When she joined DuPont in 1946, her work focused on finding polymers that could be spun into fibers to create new textures for clothing and other uses. In 1964, when her work shifted to extra strong and stable polymers, it yielded fibers which were stronger than steel! Kwolek had stumbled onto Kevlar, which today is found in everything from bullet-proof vests, ropes and a variety of other devices. Kwolek was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1995.

1978: Barbara Askins

Barbara Askins wanted to find a way to improve the clarity of photographs taken from space that were often fuzzy.  Instead of taking the logical path of improving the camera lens, she took another approach.  Using her knowledge of chemistry (she obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry after having two children), she used radioactive materials to enhance negatives after they were already shot and was granted U.S. Patent No. 4,101,780.  Her idea also proved useful in restoring old photographs and making X-rays easier to read.  For her efforts, she was awarded the National Inventor of the Year in 1978.

2005: Anja Metzger

When Dr. Keith Lurie invented a way to help rescue those experiencing a heart attack using a suction method on the chest, he needed a team to help find a way to lift a person’s chest to increase circulation when performing CPR.  Anja Metzger joined the team and spurred an invention to not only lift up on a person’s chest, but to signal to a rescuer exactly when to perform chest compressions. This has been called the greatest innovation in cardiac treatment since the defibrillator.

2011: Anke Domaske, 2011

Twenty-eight year old biochemist and fashion guru Anke Domaske has created a new fabric made from milk protein called Qmilch which is both silky and produced without the use of pesticides or harmful chemicals. The current textile industry uses fabrics which severely tax our natural resources and create a great deal of harmful runoff. Anke Domaske has invented an organic, hypoallergenic fabric that is both environmentally conscientious, and looks great on the runway!

2011: Danielle Fong

Danielle Fong, is the founder and head scientist for a company called LightSail Energy, which focused on storing energy created by intermittent sources (ie wind and light). Her plan transfers the energy created by wind and solar power into compressed in which is later expanded—when there’s no wind or solar power—to drive turbines that provide energy to a power grid. Interestingly enough, Fong is only 24, but has a resume to rival that of a scientist twice her age.

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An Interview With Entrepreneur, Sue Heilbronner, CEO of TravelShark

January 26th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

Guest blog entry and interview written by Sue Heilbronner, CEO, TravelShark and Adriana Gascoigne, CEO/Founder, Girls in Tech

 

Q: Tell me a little about your schooling/work history and how you came to launch a start-up?

A: I had planned to be a lawyer since childhood, and I went to law school after graduating from university. I worked my way into a criminal prosecutor role with the U.S. Justice Department. After practicing law for 8 years, I began feeling like I was missing a creative aspect to work. In 1999, I started an ecommerce baby gift company in my basement while practicing law by day (even entrepreneurs do some risk management). I did everything, from building the website to running daily stacks of packages to the post office. I made hundreds of mistakes — every week — but I learned a great deal about the web, analytics, online advertising, SEO, marketing, manufacturing and more. I loved it, relishing the sales and marketing functions, and I sealed my entrepreneurial future.

After a year, it was clear to me that my passion lay in business and not in law. I was able to secure an exciting online business development role at Discovery Communications — parent company of Discovery Channel and 15 other international networks.  I sold the baby company, and made the full-time transition.

After five years learning the ins and outs of business in a larger company — which was packed with talented people — I felt a desire to return to a more nimble environment.  I joined an online travel marketing company as head of sales and marketing, and grew it from nine people to 150 talented employees, with clients and revenue growing apace. After a few years at this company, I joined two other startups, disruptive companies in publishing and online education, and was then hired to run TravelShark, which had been founded by my two business partners a year earlier.  My travel experience made me a good fit for the role, and the early stage was the perfect time for me to join and have an impact.

 

Q: What was your passion in launching a travel business?

A: I didn’t start TravelShark. I joined the company first as a consultant in 2009, when I helped draft the business plan, and then in 2010 as CEO.  The company was founded by my partners Chairman David Leppan and COO Graham Easton in 2009, and they sought me out for my online travel experience.  My passion in returning to travel after a few-year hiatus is that I find the online challenges and opportunities to be uniquely exciting in the sector. Travel is among the largest online verticals, and the fastest growth of all is occurring in Asia, where our company is headquartered. So returning to the industry and joining two talented partners in a fascinating business model made perfect sense.

 

Q: If you were to give entrepreneurs one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: One? Oh, give me two!

First, these “lean” principles now in vogue to me come down to a sense that perfect is the enemy of the good in a startup centered on the web.  Internet businesses uniquely afford an entrepreneur the ability to be nimble, to test, and to quickly ascertain the results of their efforts. I sincerely believe in getting products out early, learning what the market thinks, and allocating resources for marketing that might have been used to bridge the gap between “good” and “perfect” in the product development phase.

Two: Do favors, as many as you can. I’m a big believer in helping people when I am able. I believe that “networking” is far more about being awesome and helpful than it is about drinking martinis together at trade shows. When people ask for your help and you think they’re quality people, give of your time freely, promptly, and capably.  Honor commitments. Do things for free. Make introductions. Establishing a reputation for being a partner within the entrepreneurial space is invaluable. You are and will be regarded as candid, trustworthy, and decent. When you need input on a product beta, you’ll have it.

 

Q: Why did you launch (or move) your company HQ to Singapore?

A: Our company was launched in Singapore by PR David Leppan and his co-founder Graham Easton. They chose Singapore because it is at the center of the fastest-growing region in online travel (and many other sectors). Having relocated here in 2011, I am continually impressed at the dynamism of the city and of the startup and overall business climate here. With strong businesses at www.SingaporeHotels.com, www.BeijingHotels.com, www.KualaLumpurHotels.com, and www.BangkokHotels.com, the location continues to offer returns to our firm in sales, business development and networking in general.

 

Q: Tell me about a mentor who made a huge impact in your life. How did the relationship affect your career? You?

A: I met a very talented, seasoned executive at Discovery Communications. He was the CFO of Discovery.com at the time, and I had numerous opportunities to work with him on large partnerships, acquisitions, and other significant deals. Mentoring was really important to me in those days, because I had been in the legal field for eight years and felt a little behind in my professional development in business. Mainly, I listened and asked endless questions during those years.

When I began thinking of making a transition to a smaller company, this mentor helped me garner a senior sales and marketing role in the online travel company I joined. He knew one of the executives at that company, and made that introduction. By that time, he was working in a large hospitality company, and his network in the industry was sizeable. In this role and those that followed, this mentor routinely served as a sounding board for decisions small and large. He was and remains extremely generous with his time, and over more recent years, the relationship has grown more reciprocal as my experience has increased.

I ascribe my career trajectory to this mentor and to others along the way. More recently, I’ve been privileged to serve as a mentor to others. Being a mentor, both to my own employees and to new companies, is among the most enriching aspects of my work life.

 

Q: What is it like being a female exec in tech? (There are so few of you out there) How do you recommend we change that?

A: I don’t think about this too often in my normal work life.  My company is pretty balanced between men and women, in numbers and influence. Even if developers are more heavily weighted toward men, the marketing of technology products is more even, and I think in most cases tech startups need a wide range of talents and types to create a successful technology company. I’ve been very interested in Sheryl Sandberg’s recent writings and speeches, and I think there may be a perception among women that tech companies are more male and that they carry more risk. I think the latter factor may be most significant in terms of women not choosing the sector. As we get further from the massive upheavals in the tech sector of the early 2000s, however, I’m hopeful the gender dynamics shift in tech companies — a newer sector in general in comparison to law firms and consulting firms — and that the numbers will begin to even out.

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Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Female CEO, girls in tech, interview, Sue Heilbronner, TravelShark, women in tech
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Startup Master Challenge: Join us and help your startup grow through @StartupAmerica! #StartupMaster

January 24th, 2012
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Kate Brodock

Girls in Tech - along with many other notable entrepreneurship-focused organizations – is partnering with Startup America as part of the Startup Master Challenge…and we need your help!

What do we need? You, The American Startup.  One that wouldn’t mind access to excellent resources, connecting with other entrepreneurs, and gaining exposure for your company through the Startup America Partnership Program.

What’s that? It’s based on one simple premise: young companies that grow create jobs. Period.  The Partnership has three main goals:

  • To provide valuable resources and connections to help young companies grow.
  • Support regional startup ecosystems throughout the country.
  • Recognize startups as the drivers of the US economy.
What’s in it for you? By joining, you’ll get access to:
  • Expertise: Training, mentors, advisors, and accelerators.
  • Services: Access to services critical to the health of your startup at reduced costs.
  • Talent: Recruiting, training and retaining the people that can help you grow.
  • Customers: Help with acquiring new customers and expanding into new markets.
  • Capital: Connections to sources of capital available to startups in various regions and sectors.
So go sign up (and help Girls in Tech represent!)
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Tags: entrepreneurship, Master Challenge, Startup America, Startup America Partnerships
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Smartphone Behavioral Report: Male vs. Female

January 20th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

“There are more men than women using Smartphones. Around 12.2% men as against 7.8% women used Smartphones in 2008. This number of users has grown from 2007. In 2007, statistics show, that only around 3.4% women used Smartphones as opposed to 6.1% men. People in the age group of 25 to 34 years are the ones who use Smartphones the most – a whopping 29%. There are only 4.9% users who are 65 years and above. Smartphone users in the age group 18 to 24 years are only about 10.4%.

The second major users of Smartphones are in the age group 35 to 44 years. The older the people, the less they seem to want to use Smartphones. People between the age group of 45 to 54 years see about 18.2% users. And there are only about 13% users in the age group of 55 to 64 years.

The sales of Smartphones are increasing every year all around the world. A recent survey shows a 15% increase in Smartphone sales than the previous year. While worldwide Smartphone sales is about 12%. This percentage keeps increasing year by year. In Asia-Pacific, the sales of mobile phones dropped but there was a 2.3% increase in Smartphones. As the Smartphones statistics show, it is the era of Smartphones.”

This report was provided by Apostrophe Digital, a creative digital agency that produces applications for the most popular platforms (iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Blackberry) as well as design and development of websites, microsites and web apps. Apostrophe has two full-fledged offices in Singapore and Bangkok and its products are entirely made in-house by its team. Our core services offer custom-made mobile applications and web designs. Apostrophe Digital was the winner for Red Herring Asia 2011.

Source: http://www.shutupandgoogleit.com/component/content/article/3-smartphone-articles/58

 

 

 

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Appitalism Shares its Tops Apps for Tackling Those New Year’s Resolutions

January 20th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

Its 2012 and this is the year you’re going get in shape, lose weight, get your finances in order, quit smoking, and organize your hectic life, right? Your coveted smartphone and its handy apps is the tool that will help you do just that and much more!

If you are one of the lucky ones that have made it past the two week mark into the New Year, congrats, but if you are like many American’s that have already fallen off the wagon, we’ve got you covered. Let us help pick you back up and get you back on the right track.

There is an overabundance of apps out there to choose from, so your friends at Appitalism.com (the mobile app superstore), recommends the following apps to keep you on track and conquer your New Year resolutions.

GymPact (Free for iPhone)

Paying too much for a gym membership you never use? Gym-Pact lets you set the financial stakes of not getting to the gym, plus earn cash rewards and real prizes for fulfilling your Pact. All you need is an iPhone. Make the most of your gym membership.

EverNote (Free for iPhone)

Inducted into the Apple “App Hall of Fame”, NY Times “Top 10 Must-Have Apps”, Winner of the Best Mobile App Award from TechCrunch and Mashable. Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use.

SilverWiz ($0.99 for iPhone)

SilverWiz for iPhone allows you to effortlessly manage everything about your personal finances from a single place.

LiveStrong My Quit Coach (Free for iPhone)

MyQuit Coach app creates a personalized plan to help you quit smoking. Through a physician approved, interactive and easy to use app, you’ll evaluate your current status, set attainable goals and adjust preferences according to your needs.

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Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Appitalism, girls in tech, iphone, New Year's Resolutions, women in tech
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Staples Survey Reveals Consumers Use Their Tablets 90 Minutes Per Day

January 12th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

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Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, girls in tech, iPads, Staples, Tablets, women in tech
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Astia Announces: Call for Applications for the Astia Global Entrepreneur Program

January 10th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

We are delighted to announce our 2012 Call for Applications for the Astia Global Entrepreneur Program. Astia maintains an unparalleled success rate for the companies it serves — Astia companies have achieved 23 exits, 2 IPOs and over 60% of companies receive funding within their first year of joining Astia.

About the Program:

The Entrepreneur Program is a unique resource for success – a transformative program designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs who want to become dominant players in their sectors. The format? A comprehensive 6-day workshop, 2-month program of personalized advising from premier experts and the opportunity to start benefiting from the global ecosystem of angels, VCs, corporations, and entrepreneurs that is Astia.

What Makes Astia Different:

Commitment to the journey – your journey. Driven by entrepreneurs, Astia understands that your entrepreneurial needs, questions and challenges do not end after a one-week training module or incubator period concludes. Your need to access high-quality, targeted investors, to readily connect with industry experts and key advisors, and to make the most out of your day with too much to do has pushed Astia to build a program that works toward your success in a timely, targeted and efficient manner. Our Global Entrepreneur Program and global network reflects over a decade of our work with entrepreneurs, their needs and how best to deliver results to advance their success.

Who should apply? Exceptional women-led high growth start-ups who know that success is not just about raising money but about growing a business and thriving even in today’s tough market.

Key Dates:

Call for Applications – 1 December 2011

Deadline for Applications – 4 February 2012

In Person Screening – 22 February 2012

Entrepreneur Program – 19-24 March 2012

 

Astia will be on-boarding our next class of outstanding high-growth companies in Cambridge, UK.

To apply, please visit: http://www.astia.org/content/view/600/877/

For information regarding Astia, visit: www.astia.org or contact Astia Vice President, Europe simone@astia.org

Qualification Criteria

  • An innovative idea in a high-growth sector such as Technology, Life Sciences, Clean Tech, or high-growth Consumer
  • A high-growth investment opportunity – at any stage of growth
  • An exceptional team and business strategy
  • A significant market opportunity
  • A defendable competitive advantage
  • At least one woman in a leadership role (at C level) or in significant position of equity

 

About Astia

Astia is a connected global community dedicated to the success of women-led, high-growth ventures.   Astia programming delivers access to networks and opportunities that high-growth entrepreneurs uniquely need to succeed, including connecting entrepreneurs to serial entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, advisors and service providers.

Why Apply 



Developed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, Astia’s Global Entrepreneur Program is about delivering results in every area of an entrepreneur’s business, from initial funding strategy and growth to leadership development. As an Astia company, entrepreneurs will cultivate invaluable relationships with key players, receive introductions to capital in all of its forms (ventures capitalists, angels, strategics, etc) and gain access to expertise and opportunity from around the globe.

 

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Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, ASTIA, girls in tech, Global Entrepreneurship Program, women in tech
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Cheri Beranek, CEO and President of Clearfield, Inc. on Her Role as a Technology Role Model

January 5th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

Guest blog entry written by Cheri Beranek, CEO and President, Clearfield, Inc.

Throughout my career, I have worked almost exclusively in the area of emerging technologies. I cannot imagine a more exciting sector in which to work. I also cannot imagine a more daunting, intellectually challenging area to spend one’s waking hours.

As President and CEO of Clearfield, Inc., a fiber management firm in the telecommunications networking industry, I am fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant technical minds. I have learned that to effectively manage and lead technical brilliance, especially if your skill set is not particularly technical, there are some general guidelines. Here are some of the rules that have helped me:

1)    Do not be afraid to ask questions – I’m a marketing person not engineer at heart, and my kids are more tech savvy than I am.  But with a graduate degree in communication, I’ve learned that asking GOOD questions is as important as having the answers. Not only does it challenge the technology gurus to think outside of the box and validate their positions, but is also allows us to better formulate the advantages of our products/services into the value proposition that resonates with our client community.

2)    Trust your instincts – Good ideas, whether technical or not, resonate in the gut.  Technology firms should be nimble and move quickly.  That requires a culture that’s instinctive – trusting your gut, but verifying the variables to ensure appropriate risk/reward measures are in place.

3)    Remember the soft side – people.  Technology is still a people business and truly caring for the people who make the technology happen creates an environment that fosters creativity.

4)    Get out of the way – This is often the hardest part.  As a non-technical head of a technology company, my biggest contribution – and challenge, is to get out of the way.  Let people do their thing. And, perhaps most importantly, remove the obstacles that get in people’s way.

The best rule, of course, is that no rule is absolute. Everyone – technical genius or not – manages or is managed differently. One rule that is an absolute for me, however, is:  Companies are like communities – not families. Families do not choose each other. A business that operates like a small community – where every individual chooses to work because of the environment and infrastructure — will go on to do great things.

It’s working for Clearfield, anyway.

In 2007, Cheri Beranek was named President and CEO of Clearfield, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLFD). Considered a visionary in the telecommunications networking industry, Beranek has lead the company to unprecedented international growth, new product development, and, for the first time in the company’s history, four years of increasing profitability.

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Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, CEO, Cheri Beranek, Clearfield, girls in tech, role model, technology, women in tech
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The REAL Revenge of the Nerds: Identified finds Engineers More in Demand, Command Higher Salaries Than Ever

January 4th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

Guest post by Eliza Walsh, Director of Public Relations, Social Media and Communications at Identified.com

I recently joined Identified, a cool new technology start-up based in San Francisco that has the largest database of professional information on Facebook. Identified has built a technology that provides real-time, interactive feedback on how “in-demand” professionals are to companies right now through a scoring system. I came on board as a communications pro, but it was really my experience with understanding data and being able to explain the technical aspects of what Identified does to a general audience that got me the job.

One of my first projects was looking at our database to see what types of professions were most in demand across the board. The answer to that question was very clear: engineers. We decided to delve deeper into the numbers and release a white paper that puts this trend into context. The bottom line of what we found? Engineers are flying high when it comes to opportunities for success now and in the future. We based our conclusions on an unprecedented data set of 50 million Facebook profiles, analyzing 1.2 billion data points on professionals’ work history, education and demographic data.

The result is our white paper series, “The “Revenge of the Nerds” (download Part 1 here). In short, we found that over the last 10 years, the demand for engineering talent has grown dramatically. As a result, the salaries of engineers have increased rapidly, and the unemployment rate among them has remained extremely low compared to national averages. Identified Scores show engineers to currently be the most in-demand group with the highest scores across the board. Does this have broad-reaching implications in the American economy? You bet. And our study aims to put some hard numbers behind this trend.

To find out more details behind the rise of the engineer, download Part 1 in its entirety. Then, Check back for Parts II and III, which will look more closely at the typical career path of the engineer, and the recent trend of the engineer as entrepreneur.

A few interesting findings to whet your appetite:

  • Engineers are far more in-demand than their liberal arts equivalent. They are searched for, viewed, contacted and hired 23 times more often.
  • The more work experience they have, the more in-demand engineers are relative to their liberal arts equivalents.
  • The reasons for this growth in demand are manifold: the growth of giant technology companies like Google, Apple, and Oracle, the startup boom and the number of new technology companies being launched, the increased automation and mechanization of traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, and more.
  • Despite the increased demand, the number of engineers being produced in the U.S. has barely grown in recent years.
  • Not only is the U.S. limiting the number of foreign-born engineers who might be able to help satisfy engineering demand, but U.S. educational institutions are filling their already limited programs with foreign students who are often compelled to leave the country after graduating.

 

 

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Tags: Adriana Gascoigne, Eliza Walsh, Engineers, Foreign Employees, girls in tech, H1-B Visas, Identified, Identified.com, Recruitment, women in tech
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From the Expert: Interview Tips for a New Career Start in 2012

January 4th, 2012
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Adriana Gascoigne

Guest blog entry written by Roshini Rajkumar, Executive Career Coach

2012 is the year of new beginnings and Roshini Rajkumar, Communication and Executive Career Coach, is offering her strategies for interviewing and getting your dream job! Get the leading advice on communicating your best to future employers, superiors and colleagues along with interview preparation, interview tips, and the follow up. After all, every communication style: wardrobe, word, and mannerism has something to say about you. How are you presenting yourself?

Before The Interview:

Get to know yourself before entering the interview. You will perform your best if you can easily answer two questions:

1.        Do I know who I am?

2.        Do I know what I know?

By using these two questions as your guideline, you will stay authentic and natural. Bring up topics that are interesting to you and relevant to the interview.

For example, I started a sales phone meeting recently with an enthusiastic response to the question on the other end: “How are you today, Roshini?” I said: “I’m great. There should be snow on the ground where I am, and there isn’t. I’m running a marathon in a few weeks, and this really helps with my training. I couldn’t be in a better mood so I anticipate this conversation with you both to go outstandingly well!” The two people on the other end were so pleased for me that we talked about my upcoming race for the first few minutes of my call.

Running is my passion so I was authentic and positive—there was no better way I could have scripted to launch this sales call. Getting down to business flowed naturally and didn’t seem like a pitch.” I received a terrific follow-up e-mail within minutes of the call ending.

The introduction of an interview is the perfect time to stage yourself and your hobbies. When your interviewer asks how your day is going, bring up an activity you’ve been working on. Are you training for a marathon? Demonstrating your passion towards hobbies can be a great icebreaker, and relaxes the atmosphere. Once you feel more relaxed, you are ready to sell yourself!

Roshini Offers Her Top Tips for Interviewing:

1.        Find your power outfit. When you’re confident in what you’re wearing, your best self will shine through. Always overdress, even if the place you are interviewing is “business casual.” It’s better to look sharp!

2.        Clean up your look. Men should be clean shaven. Women should have their hair bound back or controlled, and wear minimal makeup.

3.        Be yourself, be genuine. Let your interviewer get to know the real, authentic you. If you are trying to act like a jokester just to make them laugh, it might seem funny for a while, but as the interview goes on, they will see it as fake and even dishonest. Not to mention, it’s exhausting to act and be something that you’re not.

4.        Have current affairs knowledge. Throw out hot topics in the news or interesting local stories to strike up conversation. If you can tie it to the company’s industry that’s even better! Just being aware is helpful in case your interviewer asks you about the weather, stocks or sports. It’s embarrassing to be caught off guard.

5.        Do an analysis on who’s interviewing as well as the company, if possible. Knowing a little bit about your interviewers can certainly help in conversation! If you can ask questions about their past work experience and why they chose their university you win brownie points. It shows you’re interested.

6.        Think less is more. If you just have that mantra in your head you will be more effective.

The Follow Up:

Of course thank you notes are an absolute must after an interview! A handwritten thank you is the best way to demonstrate you want the job, as it’s a much more personal connection than email. The key is to include details from the interview in the letter. For example, if you found out your interviewer loves dogs and serves on the Humane Society Board, is there a way to incorporate that into your follow-up? If one of your interviewers won an award in his area of expertise, perhaps you mention something about that in your follow-up communication.

You never want to fake anything or seem like you’re reaching out in your thank you notes. However, these personalized touches will showcase to prospective employers that you were fully engaged and listening during the interviews. After all, it doesn’t really matter what you know if you don’t know how to communicate it. This is especially important in leaving that last impression with your interviewers in order to get the yes. Secure a positive impression with a winning thank you note!

Roshini is a speaker, communication coach, and author of Communicate That! She is a sought-after keynote speaker and commentator to local and national media on topics related to powerful communication for executives and politicians, business strategies for climbing the corporate ladder, and rehabbing celebrity images. Her background includes more than twenty-five years of public speaking and a career in television news. Roshini is also a licensed attorney

As President of Roshini Performance Group, Roshini speaks and coaches high-profile executives and celebrities around the country on communicating powerfully within their industries and for the media. Roshini is an instructor at St. Catherine University where she teaches businesspeople at both the Leadership Institute and the Center for Sales Innovation about how to powerfully negotiate and influence. Roshini has become the go-to person for business executives, authors, athletes and politicos who want to make an impression — clients include Bridgestone Americas, Great Clips, Minnesota Vikings, Wells Fargo. Roshini also advises television news anchors and reporters as they move forward in their broadcast careers. For fun and to keep challenged, she runs with the Minnesota REDs. Visit her website at http://www.communicatethatbook.com

 

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Tags: 2012, Adriana Gascoigne, career, Executive Career Coach, girls in tech, Interview Tips, Nailing the Interview, Roshini Rajkumar, women in tech
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