Celebrating women in engineering at BigPanda

International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), annually celebrated globally on June 23, honors and promotes the achievements of women in engineering. Originally launched as a national initiative in the United Kingdom by the Women’s Engineering Society in 2014, INWED has since achieved global reach. To commemorate this day, we asked a few of the women of BigPanda to share their stories, experiences, and insights. These women are shaping the future of engineering and continue to inspire future generations to pursue careers in this dynamic field.

From middle-school workshop to tech leadership

Hardar’s career journey began in middle school when she was introduced to programming in a small workshop. She was the only girl in the class. Little did she know that this spark would ignite a lifelong passion and career. Before Hadar started her degree, she gained hands-on experience as a QA engineer, helping her realize that working in tech involves a lot of collaboration and not just sitting at a computer alone all day.

Pursuing a degree in computer engineering opened doors to exciting opportunities and projects. After graduating, I joined a dynamic tech company where I wore many hats and learned at a rapid pace. I quickly found my passion in backend development and designing complex systems. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working at various companies, both large and small, making an impact for many users globally.

Today, I’m thrilled to be at BigPanda, where I collaborate with an exceptional team of engineers and contribute to the core projects that drive the company’s success.

Gaining benefits from mentors

I have been fortunate to have several mentors throughout my career. One of the most impactful was a senior software engineer named Nina. We worked side-by-side; I admired her thought process and confidence in her work. Nina taught me the art of feature design, how to ask important questions, and how to stand firmly behind my decisions. She also emphasized the importance of continuous learning and maintaining a growth mindset.

The most memorable part of her mentoring was her unwavering belief in me: Making sure my voice is heard. Being a senior engineer is about technical excellence, mentoring others, and helping them grow to make a meaningful impact.

Supporting other women in engineering

To all the women considering a career in engineering: Believe in your abilities and the power you hold to make a difference. Seek mentors who inspire and guide you. Build a network of supportive allies. Your voice and perspective are invaluable. As you encounter challenges, embrace them as opportunities to grow stronger. You are capable of extraordinary achievements — never let anyone tell you otherwise.

From curiosity to leadership in software engineering

A deep curiosity about how things work and the challenge of breaking technological boundaries led Oshrat to study software engineering. She developed her curiosity as she tackled the challenges of studying engineering, including the intense workload and commitment required.

My 10 years of experience have allowed me to evolve from a junior engineer to a management position. I continue to learn and adapt to new technologies and methodologies as they emerge. Throughout my career, I have expanded my engineering knowledge, enhanced my abilities to lead teams, drove innovation, and recognized the value of mentorship through each position I’ve held.

Encouraging women to pursue engineering careers

We need to increase the number of women in engineering. The industry should cultivate a more inclusive, supportive environment with policies to improve pay transparency, mentoring programs tailored to women, and efforts to counter stereotypes in the workplace. Celebrating the achievements of women engineers and promoting them to leadership roles can powerfully inspire others.

Shaping careers beyond gender bias

I have been incredibly fortunate to have a mentor whose commitment and profound understanding of engineering greatly shaped my professional development. He continuously encouraged me to push my boundaries, enhance my knowledge, and excel in every project. He viewed me primarily as an engineer, judging me on my skills and achievements without regard to gender. This approach fortified my confidence and reinforced my conviction that professional respect ought to hinge on one’s abilities and innovative contributions, independent of gender.

Breaking barriers and paving the way for women in her field

From high school until recent years, Michal was the only female wherever I worked. She says she never felt it as a weight. But when there was another woman on the team for the first time in her career, she remembers telling her family how exciting it was for her. “Until then, the only place I was surrounded by women was at home and the army dorms,” she says.

I always felt and knew that I could “go bigger,” and I wanted to. I also always found a way to find what was right for me to do. In each place I’ve been, I found it and uncovered a need. It wasn’t always easy, and — of course — some people were amazed because I’m a woman. I got some “nice” responses along the way, but I ignored them and kept going. It’s easier to comment on other people than to do what needs to be done.

Finding opportunities to lead

I once worked as part of a startup group, again as the only woman in the R&D. This was my place my whole life, so I didn’t even notice it until someone mentioned it. After a year at the company, I saw the possibility of showing myself as a leader and got to lead juniors in the QA team. When a new group for a new product was formed, I was chosen to lead the quality team from the beginning, which was exciting for me. I was working with very experienced people, learning new technologies, and improving myself both personally and professionally.

We were a very cohesive team. When Coronavirus came, we needed to learn to work and communicate in a different way. Since then, I have built and led additional QA and automation teams, led processes, recruited people, tutored employees, and helped both employees and companies be the best version of themselves.

As growth happens in all spaces and directions, it’s very fulfilling to build something or lead people, and see them grow and move forward. It’s a feeling that can’t be described, but it fuels and gives me a feeling of purpose and mission. Looking for my next challenge, I found BigPanda.

Finding role models everywhere

You can learn from every situation and every person. You only need to open your eyes and ears and see what’s happening around you. I have learned from every coworker I ever had, no matter what role they had. I looked at the way they talk, their behaviors in different situations, and I took it all in. I learned what is right for me and adjusted. Most important, I learned what doesn’t fit me and the way I see my path grows. I’ve always been open for feedback and open to change.

I learned from each mistake and each success and moved on. There is no need to dwell in anything. Take the lesson, learn from it and grow.

Learn more about the company culture at BigPanda.