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.
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.
Have you ever heard of unconscious bias? It’s a term that lies at the heart of conversations about inclusive workplaces. Understanding and confronting the unconscious biases we carry in our minds is something we should all do to develop more understanding and mutual respect in teams. Keep reading to learn more about some common examples of unconscious bias and some simple steps you can make in everyday work life to start confronting them.
Try to open global newspapers without catching headlines about NFT and famous people buying them. ChangingTwitter profile pictures and IG pictures became a new measure of community status. You might be asking why. And can you join? Yes, you can!
Even though our mentors are experts in their field, mentoring is a continuous learning journey for everyone involved. That’s why we recently invited our Chief Mentor,
Cristina Muntean, to answer some of the burning questions in our Mentor Community. An expert on mentoring, coaching, and strategic communications, here’s what she had to say about some of the hot topics on our mentors’ minds.
February is Black History Month. It’s a time of celebrating Black achievement throughout history and today, but also serves as a reminder to fight the systemic racism and inequality that Black people around the world still face today. To honor this observance, we reached out to Alexis Curtis-Harris and Aicha Diarra - both Femme Palette mentors and inspirational women - to ask them about their career, their motivation to become mentors, advice they wished they had received at the start of their career, as well as their favorite Black role model.
Picture this, it’s 2055 and 51% of all CEOs and world leaders are women. That world looks totally different, doesn’t it? It’s not the same environment we’ve grown accustomed to. If we were to sit here and picture this new normal, what would we say were the steps that got us there?
At Femme Palette, we care about the experience of our mentees, and therefore the quality of our mentors. That’s why we have recently made changes to our mentor recruitment to make the process more selective. This blog post will guide you through the steps and show you what to expect. Here is the ultimate guide to becoming a Femme Palette mentor!
