Resideo Partners with Society of Women Engineers
Resideo’s Helen Meza, Quality Assurance Lead Engineer, champions the organization.
We’ve talked about women in STEM careers in our articles celebrating Resideo’s engineering and technology leaders in Meet Five Resideo Engineers and Women in Tech: Resideo’s Female Leaders Share Their Stories. In this article we hear from Resideo’s Helen Meza, QA Test Lead Engineer and Resideo’s Society of Women Engineers champion, as she shares her experience at the latest SWE conference, a three-day immersive leadership event, with this year’s theme being Aspire to Inspire. Resideo is a Corporate Partnership Council Member of SWE.
By: Helen Meza, Resideo QA Test Lead Engineer
"Quality connections" — two words that are important in my role as a system test engineer and a key aspect of building culture and navigating through change.
Both topics were front and center as I joined more than 6,700 others at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Annual Conference held at Indianapolis Convention Center last month.
I was honored to represent Resideo as we embark on our first year as a SWE partner. Resideo is committed to raising its diversity and inclusion efforts, so more young women become better educated and lead their future and careers in the fields of scientific research, technology and engineering.
To build those quality connections, several powerful, brilliant leaders shared their wisdom and experiences and offered life hacks with attendees, and I wanted to share what I learned from the conference:
Ask more, listen more. The key attributes that will help you improve your career in any field (but especially as an engineer) are curiosity and taking initiative. Remember: asking questions is the best way to bring creativity and innovation to the corporation.
Be authentic and find your purpose. A successful leader means being authentic to your values and your team or organization. You can find a purpose-driven career when your organization’s goals are aligned with your personal core principles.
Have discipline and set limits. In this virtual world, we are always connected. Step away from the 24/7 grind and find time for you.
Find opportunities in failures or struggles. Remember, challenges bring opportunities and opportunities bring challenges. Step out of the comfort zone.
Change your mindset. Stressful circumstances might be opportunities in disguise. Impostor syndrome and self-doubt can come at every level of management. The way to combat this is to surround yourself with people you admire and have confidence in your role. Instead of thinking, “I have to...” change it to “I get to” such as “I get to do a huge presentation” or “I get to talk with a big customer and resolve the issue.”
Have a blend of professional and personal life. Instead of choosing between having a high visibility/leadership role and having children, leaders encouraged building a strong support system around you. A well-organized network of allies (partner, family members, friends or others) that you can rely upon can make a large impact. It's also important to work with your manager on initiatives impacting your work output or family life.
Take a moment to reflect. How have you experienced quality connections at work?
Resideo’s partnership with SWE will allow future conference opportunities, and will offer recruiting, professional development, and networking. I am excited about this partnership and step forward in furthering our commitment to diversity initiatives.
See what jobs, including STEM jobs, we have available on our website here:
