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Intel Employees: Our Female Rock Stars

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I had a great opportunity to meet with a group of highly-skilled Intel females to discuss the recent awards/recognition that they've received. Here are some of the ‘Female Intel Rock Stars’ who were recently recognized and offered to share their thoughts and advice to the questions below.

But first, let me introduce our panel to you:

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAAnisha is the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Marketing and Communications Lead in Intel’s Global Environment Group and has been with Intel for 9 years. Anisha was recently awarded the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Emerging Leader Award in the Safety Health and Environment category.

Jill is the Director of Strategic Marketing in Intel’s Embedded and Communication group and has been with Intel for 16 years. Jill was also recently honored at the SWE Conference with an Emerging Leader Award in the Sales and Marketing Category.

Lakecia works in the Intel Architecture Group and has been with Intel for almost 2 years. Lakecia was awarded the 2010 Women of Color (WOC) Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference Award in Educational Leadership and Technology Rising Stars.

 

Lisa is Intel’s IT Counsel in the Legal and Corporate Affairs group and has been with Intel for 4 years. Lisa was awarded the 2010 Women of Color (WOC) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference Award in Technology All Stars.

Marie works in the Corporate Quality Network Global Platform Analysis Center and has been with Intel 14 years. Marie was awarded the “40 under 40 in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math STEM in 2010" by Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology (HE&IT) magazine.

 

Now that you’ve met the group of phenomenal women we chatted with, here’s what they had to say!

What is your advice for someone new coming into Intel?

Jill:My advice is to be yourself. Don’t try to be something that you’re not just to fit in. It will be uncomfortable for you and chances are for others around you. Great success in a company is to seek out a job that best fits your personality and that you’re comfortable in. Take time to learn what Intel does as a whole and don’t silo yourself.

Lisa:Coming to a company this size can be very intimidating, especially for an CG (college graduate). My advice is to remember that you were selected because of the competencies that you bring to Intel and that does not go away. It’s important to leverage your competencies to build upon those of others.

Lakecia:Remember that you received the job offer because of how you differentiated yourself from your peers through the entire candidate selection process (competitive differentiation). Don’t forget what makes your brand unique and the confidence you had in yourself and your skills and abilities prior to coming to Intel. You are going to make mistakes so extend yourself grace. You are still learning this culture, work environment, and your role and responsibilities within your team. Don’t let your mistakes hold you hostage. If you do, it will hinder your performance and your teams performance. Learn from them and move on. My advice is to get out of your cube and ask a lot of questions. This will help you to be successful. Look for opportunities to assist your team members with some aspect of their work as this will help you gain a broader understanding of the team’s goals and deliverables. Also, get out and explore areas outside of Intel and explore your community. You need those connections outside of work as it will also help you to get out of your comfort zone.

Anisha:Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t feel like you should know all of the answers. We should foster an environment that allows people to learn. I also highly recommend having a technical, as well as a non-technical, mentor to help you find your way around, at least for the first few weeks. It was invaluable for me.

Group:New females starting at Intel, especially in the engineering field, should keep their female identities and not try to necessarily blend in with the appearances of their male counterparts. Women should be proud of the diversity that they bring to the team.

What BKM’s (Best Known Methods) do you have to share about navigating Intel?

Jill:Learning and studying doesn’t end when you get your degree and your job. That’s a very important thing to remember when trying to navigate Intel. Always study up on technologies and new skills and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Marie:To add to Jill’s answer above, while networking, keep in mind that the goals and objectives of one group versus another group may be different. Many organizations are actually competing organizations. Understanding the goals and objectives of each partner organization enables “Win-Win” ideas . Also, do your research, understand the various groups across Intel, and respect people’s time as well as your own - prioritize. Always be prepared so that meetings are effective so as not to waste peoples time. If people view you as efficient and direct, they will be more likely to accept your meeting requests and help you in the future.

Lisa: When I started with Intel I realized in order to be successful at Intel, I needed to build a network. I asked my manager and others a lot of questions about the key projects and players in the organization that everyone should know and the players’ respective specialties so that I knew who to turn to for specific issues. I created a chart of these individuals and their specialties and had 1:1 meetings with them to understand how they fit into the bigger picture at Intel—how their contributions make Intel work. Also you have to leverage your core skills to build or enhance some of the work that is being done in support of Intel’s values (Ex. Employee Groups, etc.)—for me it was leadership. I looked for opportunities to use my core skills as much as possible. It’s also very good to get involved in things outside of your organization so that you can demonstrate the transferability of your skills. This will also help position you for other potential opportunities.

Lakecia:I spent a lot of time learning my job and getting to know my key partners along with their roles and responsibilities. Setting up 1:1’s with key stakeholders within your organization and other organizations is critical because they will give you the knowledge to be successful and expedite your ramp process. Create a network of people outside of your group and this will allow you to more quickly understand how Intel is structured. Seek out a mentor(s) across business groups and an advocate as quickly as you can. In addition, I put together a learning/ramp plan so that I would have a systematic learning process so as to crystallize my learning priorities. I started by asking lots of questions about the past, present, and future. Why things were done a certain way and were those reasons still valid today. Become involved in your affinity group, at a minimum, and then join others as your interests align. This is another great opportunity to become connected and it helps you to build a strong network. You should network every chance you get. Set a goal to meet one new person a month or a quarter and be consistent and diligent about following up with your new connections.

Outside of Intel, what affiliations/involvement has helped facilitate your career path?

Lisa: I’m involved with the Legal Aid Services of Oregonwhere I worked with the staff to create a pro bono clinic, which has helped me expand my legal experience to support a wider variety of clients. Participating in the legal clinic affords me the opportunity to work with those that would otherwise not be able to afford my services and this humbles me and makes me really appreciate the life that I have.

Jill:Girls trips are a necessity and a “must-do”. It’s important to have a community of friends who can get away once or twice per year. We support each other professionally and personally. In addition, I try to use the skills I have acquired over the years in any way that I can through volunteering. Those projects continue to greatly expand my network.

Marie: As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more involved with organizations like SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers). I did not engage when I was new in my career. But Intel has a lot of different things available to you when you’re ready to become involved. Take advantage of these types of opportunities at the appropriate time in your life when you will benefit the most.

Lakecia: Being involved with organizations such as Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and The Project Management Institute, to name a few, served as a personal and professional development training ground and helped me to develop numerous skills sets including those needed to work in a corporate environment. In addition, these organizations impressed upon me the importance of building a career and a life that would enable me to make a difference for myself and others around me. As a result, I started a non-profit called Inspiring Minds Network, focused on infusing enthusiasm about learning and achieving at the highest levels and with a strong concentration on increasing the number of youth who have an interest or desire to pursue careers in STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). I am passionate about sharing the fun, excitement and challenges in the world of engineering and the realm of possibilities available to students, if they choose this path.

Anisha: Affiliations such as SHPE, SWE, NSBE, etc. allow us to apply skills that we are not necessarily able to hone in on at work. It will also add to the resume, if/when you decide to pursue different positions inside and outside of Intel.

There you have it, straight from some of our very own Intel rock stars! A few of them mentioned organizations such as SHPE, SWE, NSBE, etc. and we actually recently attended conferences held by those organizations recently! Be sure to check out our blog posts on our experiences at those conferences!

 
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