Discussion Participants:
Mid-Career Hire / Role: Testing
Currently building a career at a company specializing in intercom systems.
Mid-Career Hire / Role: Development & Evaluation
Currently a team leader and CDA (Career Design Advisor) at one of our branches. This position involves planning career paths for engineers.
New Graduate Hire / Role: Development (Before Maternity Leave)
Returned from taking maternity leave in April 2021.
What kind of company is
TechnoPro IT?
TechnoPro IT is a company that actively nurtures the aspirations of individuals aiming to become leaders.
Did Ms.Y always have ambitions to become a manager since joining the company?
Not at all! (laughs) Thanks to the strong support and training provided to engineers, including winning the "Engineer MVP*" award, I believe I was able to advance in my career. Additionally, the excellent relationship with the sales team played a significant role in my professional growth.
*Engineer MVP: An award given to the most outstanding and active engineers.
TechnoPro IT left a remarkable impression on me as a company that truly cares. Our assigned sales representative regularly checks in with us, asking if we have any challenges. Feeling supported and not alone provides me with the motivation to work to the best of my ability.
When you've been working at the client's site for a long time, you start to miss the connection with the branch office (laughs). Especially during the pandemic, face-to-face communication is challenging.
As a result, there has been an increase in opportunities to interact through email and Zoom web meetings.
Are there actually
many female engineers?
Compared to when I joined, there are definitely more female engineers now.
That's true. When I joined, there were already several female engineers actively working, and over the years, the percentage of female employees has increased significantly, right?
Yes! When I joined as a mid-career hire, there were already multiple female engineers making significant contributions. From there, the number of female employees increased over the years. Having female colleagues makes break times much more enjoyable. We can engage in fun conversations and discussions (laughs).
I always liked the idea of just grabbing our wallets and getting lunch together occasionally. Also, having more close colleagues could potentially help in sharing and dividing tasks!
Having a balanced mix of male and female employees makes the workplace more comfortable.
There's less need to worry about interpersonal relationships, allowing us to focus on our work!
At my previous client site, there were quite a few female engineers, and we even organized exclusive gatherings for women. That extended to private events, and I made some great friends!
Is it easy to take
maternity and childcare leave?
I took maternity and childcare leave twice and returned to work.
Did you always plan to continue working after getting married?
Before getting married, I didn't have the confidence to balance work and family life. However, when I got married in my sixth year at the company and gave birth in my ninth year, there was already a female engineer who had taken maternity leave before. Having that precedent gave me confidence.
Did the company contact you during your maternity and childcare leave?
They contacted me when one year had passed since I started childcare leave. Since I couldn't find a suitable daycare, I ended up taking leave for one year and eleven months. I felt a little guilty, but when I said I wanted to extend the leave, they kindly agreed. I am really grateful the company was so patient with my situation.
And now you're back on the same team as before?
Yes, that's right. If you've been away from your duties for 1 to 2 years, it may take time to get back into the flow. However, since they reached out to me, I felt motivated to give it my best shot once again.
Do you have
a good work-life balance?
I think it has become more manageable compared to when I first joined. Back then, we had more overtime hours (laughs). Now, there's a reevaluation of how we work, and average overtime hours have significantly decreased. We can also take paid leave without feeling guilty.
In my team, the average monthly overtime is around 10 to 12 hours. Currently, the youngest member is a new graduate. As someone who understands the work as a CDA (Career Development Advisor), I ensure that people do not think overtime is something they must do and support them when necessary.
Having predictable days off makes planning for holidays easier. The sales team also encourages us to use our paid leave.
Do you open your computer on your days off? I rarely do (laughs).
I don't think about work much either (laughs). Before the pandemic, I used to hang out with friends from university, but now we regularly have online drinking sessions.
I enjoy running, so before the pandemic, I used to run at the gym three times a week. My goal is to participate in a full marathon. If I don't have time to move my body and have some free time, stress starts to build up.
Baking bread is my hobby. It's refreshing to take a break with freshly baked bread and a delicious cup of coffee or tea.
As a female engineer, what kind of
career do you want to pursue?
Over the past few years, I've been involved in evaluation work, so I want to build my career as a development engineer. It would be nice to return to being a hands-on member rather than focusing on project management once I become a developer.
Currently, my main role at the client site is evaluation work, responsible for product test design and test planning. In the future, I want to challenge myself with different projects and advance to upstream processes.
While I focus on raising my child, I aim to contribute as a dedicated team member. As I gradually establish a work-life balance, I will be open to embracing fresh opportunities.
It's great to have an environment where they listen to your current situation and feelings, allowing you to think flexibly about your future career.
One of the charms of TechnoPro IT is that they respect individual working styles. Even if my life stage changes due to marriage or other reasons, I hope to continue working with them for a long time!
There are various client sites, so you can gain diverse experiences. There are also many training options, so if someone wants to acquire specific skills, they provide excellent opportunities to develop as an IT engineer.
