This was originally posted in the Salesforce Engineering Blog

Welcome to the first #SFWITWednesday post of 2015!

Have you ever felt like you want your company to level the gender gap to have a more diverse team? While there are things companies have been recently trying, there is a lot you can do as an individual that would make a huge difference! Add the following to your resolution list, and make sure to hold yourself accountable. Very soon you’ll have your diverse team and no longer be the minority in the room!

1. Refer more women to job openings at your company!

Have you been referring people to job openings at your company? Everyone has talented friends, or friends of friends. Make sure to tell them why they should work at your company, and convince them to let you refer them!

2. Recommend a qualified woman – whether there is an opening or not

At times, the recruiting process can be rushed due to a number of circumstances. It may affect the time hiring teams have to ensure they have a diverse set of applicants to consider. So why not introduce them to a stellar woman technologist any time you can so when positions do open up, they already have a diverse set of candidates to consider?

3. Say ‘YES!’ to interviewing candidates to help build a more diverse team

Like women hires – you don’t want the hiring process at your company to feel like recruiting into a fraternity… so contribute to the diversity of the interview panel! Hold your team accountable to ensure there is always at minimum one woman available to interview potential candidates.

4. Speak at conferences, meetups, and networking events

The best way to get the word out to other women, is by making yourself visible. Considering the number of women speaking at tech events can be small, people will be sure to take notice of you when you speak about the work you are doing at your company. In turn, other women technologists may want to apply!

5. Be a role model

Sign up to be a mentor to girls and women who are interested in tech, and talk to them about what you do. The tech industry lacks women role models… if you can’t find one, be one!

Readers, what new year’s resolutions have you set? What else can individuals do to increase the number of women they work with? Post in the comments below!

This was originally posted in the Salesforce Engineering Blog

“We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back” – Sheryl Sandberg

Welcome to this week’s edition of salesforce.com’s Women in Tech Wednesday roundup! #SFWITWednesday

Have you ever wondered if women are getting paid less than men? Are you just waiting to ask for a raise you deserve because you want to avoid the pressure of asking for it, or facing the risk of rejection? Are women missing out on opportunities because they just don’t ask? While we are amidst conversations about gender pay gap and the lack of female leadership, women’s advocates and leaders are missing a simple piece of advice. It’s not just about asking for it, it’s the conversation that follows that actually matters.

What are my options?

When I started attending Meetups and networking events, I’d discuss the topic of raises and promotions with successful women and found there were two different opinions. While some said they received their raise or promotion when they deserved it and never had to ask, others advised that one should. It was only after I personally decided to muster up the courage to ask for a promotion that it finally dawned on me… Asking for a promotion is just another way to ask for feedback! When you say, “What can I do to get to the next level?” You are simply asking, “How can I improve?” Being successful is an iterative process – continuous improvement is necessary.

Do your homework

When I first brought up the promotion conversation, it was not without doing my own research first. I asked for my company’s job descriptions and self-assessed where I fit. I saw it as an opportunity to ask any questions I had of how to get to the next level. If my request for a promotion had been turned down, at least I learned how I was being perceived. The senior women I polled said they never asked for a promotion because they were happy with the speed at which their career was progressing. I believe they were having open conversations about how they were performing without specifically asking for a promotion, which can lead to the same positive outcome.

Say it like you mean it

When getting ready to have the conversation with your boss, you should compile a list of your accomplishments. This serves more than one purpose. Not only will it help paint the picture for your manager, it will also boost your confidence whenever you experience the ‘Impostor Syndrome‘ or are going through a bad day! If you have the confidence and are convinced you are ready for the next level, you’ll be more convincing to your manager as well. Don’t rush it and don’t give up! Asking for a raise or promotion may not be boiled down to one short conversation.

2. Theresa Vietvu, Architect (Quality Engineering)

Superpower: Extreme strength to continually attempts things out of her comfort zone.
Theresa has worked on almost all areas of the Salesforce application in the 12 years that she has been at the company. She now works on the API infrastructure. Even as an Architect, she has remained hands-on helping to test and ship features as a result of her unwavering passion for quality. Additionally, she still mentors and on-boards new hires to help share and teach our quality focused culture. Her motto, “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission,” has helped her accumulate a stack of patents issued in her name. You can follow her on LinkedIn.

3. Bala Subramanian, Architect (Engineering Services)

Superpower: Laser sharp vision that cuts through chaos to create execution plans.

Bala currently works as the Architect in theData.com business unit of salesforce.com. She founded the salesforce.com Release Engineering team after coming from a build and release background. Numerous releases and extremely successful datacenter build outs have Bala’s signature all over them. Bala is amazing at seeing an opportunity and taking responsibility before being asked. She successfully transitioned from being a manager to an IC which aligned more to her personal goals. You can follow her on LinkedIn.

4. Jeanine Walters, Architect (Software Engineering)

Superpower: Omnilinguist that can translate any technical conversation in a concise and effective manner.

Jeanine has worked in big and small companies in the past, including founding her own company. She now works on Salesforce1 and her biggest success was architecting a solution and building a team for a feature that no one else thought was possible. She first learned how to program when she was in the 1st grade and strongly believes in the saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” You can follow her on Twitter@jeaninesw.

5. Susan Levine, Architect (Software Engineering)

Superpower: Extra-sensory ability to apply deductive reasoning, logic, and the scientific method to any problem.

After leading the successful integration of theData.com acquisition, Susan now works in Sales Cloud. She created a model for the integration of numerous subsequent acquisitions. Her advice to her 24-year-old self – ”It’s okay to make mistakes, even big ones.” Fun fact: Her twin sister is a Salesforce admin and developer whom she calls when she needs product advice from the real world. You can follow her onLinkedIn.

6. Sriramana Ghadiyaram, Architect (Quality Engineering)

Superpower: Telescopic vision that focuses on the big picture while working on details.

Sriramana has had a fantastic journey! After growing up in a small Indian village with only an elementary school, she is now a well respected QE Architect and has worked on Analytics and Chatter! She has kept her enthusiasm to learn new things and approaches every job as a learning experience. Her encouragement comes from her favorite quote – ”People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.” You can view her LinkedIn here.

7. Sue Shanabrook, Architect (Software Engineering)

Superpower: Neurocognitive ability to find the root of existing problems, foresee potential problems, and head them off.

Sue was the first developer in the Tampa office to work on Messaging, and then Monitoring & Management. She is now the Product Owner on the R&D App Delivery Cloud, and has built and structured a team that consistently and reliably delivers services to production. Some of these services include HBase Pilot, Splunk, Logging Hub stability, Message Queue, etc. You can follow her on LinkedIn.

8. Susanne Englert, Architect (Performance Engineering)

Superpower: Supersonic ability to have AHA! moments anywhere, anytime.
Susanne works on the Performance Engineering team, and has previously worked at IBM. In the past she chaired the TPC-H database benchmark development subcommittee for four years. Her initial work as a Performance Analyst is what drew her to Performance Engineering. The ‘detective hunt’ nature of the work intrigued her! She has worked alongside Computer Scientist Jim Gray who has been a source of inspiration for her. You can follow her on LinkedIn.

9. Qingqing Liu, Architect (Mobile)

Superpower: Hyper Speed where everything appears to be in slow motion around her

Qingqing works on the Salesforce mobile app, and has worked at Netapp and Genentech in the past. When Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, she launched her first mobile app as a side project, which is where her love for ‘all things mobile’ began! She loves to hear feedback on the apps she built, and lives by her motto, “Be the change you want to see.” You can follow her on LinkedIn.

This was originally posted in the Salesforce Engineering Blog

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself” – George Bernard Shaw

Welcome to this week’s edition of salesforce.com’s Women in Tech Wednesday roundup! #SFWITWednesday

Whether we like it or not, we are the managers of our own personal brand. Here are the three things I have done to build my personal brand – and you can too!

1. Shine Bright Like A Diamond

(Thanks Rihanna for our theme song!)

First things first… It’s important to be clear on what you want and who you are to really shine. Find your specific niche and build your skills to become a thought leader or expert. Beyond just building your skills, you should be known for them in a way that differentiates you from everyone else. This is key to build your personal brand!

For example, when I was a student looking for internships, I realized I was in competition with a lot of people just like me. Hundreds of people graduate every year, so I had to figure out how I could stand out. There were two things I was most passionate about – gender diversity and technology. I decided to make that my focus. I joined the Society of Women Engineers chapter on the USC campus and was eventually nominated to be on the board. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it illustrated leadership, passion and drive and that’s exactly what companies were looking for! Cut to five years later, when I was looking for a job change. My work with Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners helped me snag a job at salesforce.com!

2. Hello, Is It Me You’re Looking For

Everyone has a personal brand (including Lionel). How others perceive your online presence is just as important as how you show up in person. Make sure that when a potential employer, manager, or client does a Google search on you, they see what you want them to. It’s important across the board – blogs, websites, social media, contributions on Quora or Stack Overflow. It all matters!

Until I moved to the bay area, I didn’t have any social presence besides my Facebook profile that was locked down in a fortress of privacy. I quickly learned that people liked to keep in touch online as much as they did in person. A business card was nowhere near as valuable as having an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, a Twitterhandle, a blog or a website. A friend of mine suggested I find an online handle that I could use everywhere – now I’m easily searchable because I’m ‘SukruthaSays‘ everywhere on the internet!

3. Say What You Need To Say

While it might be intimidating to speak to a crowd, it’s critical to your personal brand that you have a topic that will get people excited (John Mayer style!). Speaking at conferences, meetups or networking events is a great way to build your network. When you prepare for your talk, force yourself to imagine yourself as the listener. This will give you a new perspective on your topic of expertise.

In 2011, my then employer sponsored a Girl Geek Dinner, and I was asked to be the engineer on the panel. I hesitated at first, but decided to do it anyway. That resulted in a chain of events that led me to be the Managing Director of Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners! Ever since, I have never said no to any speaking opportunities. This month, I spoke to the current batch of salesforce.com interns, and in the process I learnt so much that I didn’t already know about our customers and our products. Later this year, I plan to present a session at Dreamforce. Hopefully, I will catch some of you then!

(As told to Angie Chang)
Getting Started

When I was a little girl and my father bought Macintosh’s Newton, I got interested in technology. As I started working, I did continually change my mind about whether or not I wanted to continue working in technology. Looking back, tech seemed so hard and complex it seemed – and there were no women role models to look up to.

After college, I applied to Citrix at an on-campus USC job fair, and then I was called in to interview. I can’t say I always wanted this role because I studied to be an electrical engineer and slowly started moving toward the software side! It’s worked really well for me so far to take one step at a time, and for now I have more short-term goals like learning new technologies and getting better at the work I do. Ultimately I’d love to be CTO or CEO of a tech company that makes consumer products.

My favorite part of my job as a software engineer in test is that I’m the first customer, and it allows me to come up with creative use cases for the product I am testing. I use build tools like Maven and Ant to run my automation tests. Web-based testing requires knowledge of HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, etc so you know how to write test commands to interact with a mock or headless browser. Selenium requires the tests to be written in a programming language, and we [at Citrix] picked Java.

Depending on what type of product you are testing, and what component you are testing, there are a variety of tools for test automation. For example, I use JMeter for Load Testing, and Canoo Webtest and Selenium Webdriver for Web-based testing.

This is the best time to be a woman in tech, there are so many support groups and many more role models now than ever before.

Advice for New Engineers

Whenever you learn a new coding language/technology, find a project to work on so you can actually put it to use. Ask a lot of questions – no question is dumb.

This post was originally published in the Hackbright Academy blog