In our latest interview, we sat down with Valentyna Chycha, Senior Software Test Engineer at Paylocity, who shared an inspiring look into her career journey - from a surprising start in software testing during her studies in Ukraine to a leadership role in a fast-paced U.S. tech environment. Valentyna reflects on the power of resilience, mentorship, and self-advocacy in navigating challenges such as micromanagement and underrepresentation. Her thoughtful insights highlight how continuous learning, clear communication, and inner confidence can shape a successful and fulfilling career in tech.
Regarding, but also regardless of the current situation in our society, everyone experiences mentally difficult moments at work. We might have a great superior who understands our mental condition, or possibilities of organized support from management. Nevertheless, a significant part of dealing with such a situation lies mostly on our own shoulders. Therefore, it is handy to be ready! I will share with you several tips on how to protect our mental health at work and how to help ourselves when we are struggling.
We asked Femme Palette mentor Danial Hassan for his recommendations and here are some of the top books he suggests mentors (and anyone looking to improve these skills) check out.
Although many male executives have been arguing for more than four decades that there is a need for “feminization of management”, only 11% of women on average are in management in companies across the EU. Breaking the glass ceiling seems to be impossible for many women, however, those who manage to do so face the next stage of discrimination. This concept is known as the glass cliff.
When mentee Glorybeth Castillo got laid off from her job, it was a major blow to her self-esteem. However, she decided to turn things around and signed up to the Femme Palette Mentoring program where she was matched with mentor Lucie Chmelikova. And within a few sessions, things started looking up.
Mentoring is a great way to give back by sharing what you’ve learned throughout your career and helping guide a mentee toward their goals. Maybe you’ve thought about being a mentor but aren’t sure where to begin. The good news is that you don’t need any formal mentoring experience to start, but there are several ways you can build up your mentoring experience and strengthen the skills you’ll need to be a great mentor. Here are a few ideas to help kick of your mentoring journey.
Mentoring is one of the popular development tools out there, yet not everyone is ready to take on this adventure. Some think that they are too old (or too young), some think they are not stuck in their career enough to start a mentoring relationship, others believe that relationship is too one-sided. All of the above are common myths in mentoring and are very untrue. I have talked with three Femme Palette mentors to define these myths and see the accurate picture.
Mentoring can be a transformative experience for everyone involved. But what makes a good mentor? While sharing your personal experience and guiding your mentee toward their goals is an essential part of being a mentor, it isn’t the be-all and end-all. Here are a few other key competencies to consider when deciding if becoming a mentor is right for you.
Diversity and Inclusion programs have become quite a topic over the past decade. There are plenty of E/BRG programs (Employee / Business Resource Group), and managers along with stakeholders are listening more than ever to all the topics in this matter. Yet, it would be a lonely call if all the hard work would be up to the members of such groups. This path would not be the same without the brave and important part of the community, allies.
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