Stuti Sharma is a pre-final-year undergraduate student at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Guru Nanak Dev University, India. She is open to learn and take up challenging projects. Having proficient knowledge of Java, MySQL, HTML, CSS, Python, and Kotlin. She gave the talk "Starting Your Journey with Databases Management in MySql" during the WomenTech Global Conference 2020. 

Especially for the WomenTech Network, Stuti agreed to give an interview to one of our Global Ambassadors, Puja Chaudhury.

"WomenTech Global Conference 2020"

• How did you hear about the WomenTech Network?

I was active on LinkedIn from the very beginning; one of my LinkedIn connections mentioned in their post about the opportunity to join the Network in this emerging phase. I went to their website and did some reading on the Careers page and liked what I saw, so I decided I should apply and learn more about the opportunity.

• Have you spoken in any other conferences before?

No, this was my first experience related to a Global Conference. It has been a great experience attending the WomenTech Global Conference 2020. And speaking at such a huge platform along with explaining every aspect of my own learnings to help women worldwide, it just feels so amazing. I met many intelligent and sharp international colleagues and experienced veterans from different work cultures.

• How was the application process for this conference

The application process was smooth and effortless. There were some details required to be fulfilled in order to apply for further selection as a speaker. After approximately a  week, the second part of the application took place which required us to select our Topics for the discussion at the Conference and after another gap of 1 week, I  got the selection mail from their side,containing the details for further procedures. Throughout this process, I enjoyed each and every level.

•  How did you prepare for the big day?

Soon after I got my selection mail, I started strategizing for the ‘Big Day’. My topic for the discussion was ’Starting Your Journey with Databases Management in MySQL’. I made some notes containing the most out of my knowledge about the topic.

I started with making a presentation containing the key points of my discussion along with some important aspects related to the practicality of the topic and details. On the Conference day, I was given my own Sessions area where I was supposed to address the participants. I explained my presentation and simultaneously gave them a hands-on practical session. During the session, whichever question was asked from the participants’ side, I answered them clearly. 

Everything just got better and I’m happy that I proved to be so good at this and later on got so many personal messages from people who attended my session and were really keen to know further about advancements of MySQL.

• How important do you think organizations like the WomenTech Network are for women in tech?

Women in tech matter so that future generations of women will not only join but SURPASS the work we do today. ’Women in tech’ has become a hot topic, and it is an important one. More important is diversity in general. It was awesome to take part in this event and I am grateful to Anna Radulovski, CEO & Founder of the WomenTech Network, for inviting me to be a speaker. 

There’s a lot of talk about women in tech these days, and why this is important. The obvious answer is that women represent 50% of the population. The World Economic Forum says empowering women globally can bring $28 trillion in GDP growth within the next seven years. But why tech and why now? The stats are dismal: in the US, women hold only 20% of tech jobs. For startups, it’s even worse: only 17% of startup founders are women who receive 3% of funding. 

Why does this matter? First of all, it’s about the economics: women-founded companies generate 150% more revenue per dollar invested and generate more revenue as a whole. The best way to support women is to treat us like any other teammate: listen, give credence to our expertise, and help champion us internally. A recent study in “The Economist” said that women’s voices are judged more harshly than men’s. 

So let’s all listen to each other… and all reap the benefits as together we make the world a more profitable, diverse, and efficient place.

Career

• What drove you to be a part of Tech?

GROWING. IN DEMAND. INNOVATIVE

The technology industry may be one of the most challenging, inspiring, and rewarding industries today. And in recent years, the industry has been growing and evolving at a rapid pace. To me, Technology = The Future, and it has some very, very interesting things coming up!

So, because it constantly changes the world around us, I wanted to be a core part of it. 

• What is your area of expertise?

Being tech savvy, I am really fascinated by technology providing solutions for almost everything in today’s world. Having proficient knowledge of JAVA, HTML/CSS, MySQL, C/C++ , Git and GitHub …also having Google cloud knowledge. And had my hands-on in Android App development. Leading a team and organising them in a strategic manner is what I can easily do with my skills.

• What difficulties have you faced till now as a woman?

The pain of being an Indian woman is immense and even though men will tell you they are good at keeping things bottled up and are therefore more deserving of being called the sufferers, I put up honestly - being a woman in India is the happiest and the saddest thing. 

Back when I was in my high school, I used to go to tuition centres and after attending those classes, while heading back towards my home, I always used to notice some groups of boys who roam around in streets and the single thing which they did was blowing power horns of their vehicles when any girl used to pass by the streets. At that time, that was the worst thing I used to see almost on a daily basis. 

So count it as a difficulty or something else… but no girl would like to get this type of treatment by anyone. I mean it felt so awkward at that time. But now I have started ignoring such things in my day-to-day life and eventually positivity and maturity have reached me.

• Tell us more about Girl Up and your role there. 

Girl Up is basically a set of leadership development programs which has impacted thousands of women through different clubs in many different countries. Girl Up is inspiring a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change. It is a United Nations affiliated foundation which basically exists as a network for Girls around the globe. Girl Up She-United is one of the clubs which comes under Girl Up United Nations Foundation.

I have worked with Girl Up as a Content Writer and Content Creator for over 3 months now. Recently, the president of Girl Up She-United asked me to choose between one position - Head of Social Media or Head of Content Creation. I agreed to acquire the position of Head of Social Media. Also, I have applied for the Secretary position there.

• It's easy to stay motivated when others don't believe in us. How do you navigate through the stages of self-doubt?

Everyone is motivated by different things. Understanding what motivates you can make the difference between success and failure. In today's competitive work environment, our greatest untapped resource may be our own motivation.

You find it within, because all motivation is self-motivation.

One important key to your success will be your ability to break down your goals into shorter-term and smaller, single tasks. Keep things manageable.

Visualize yourself succeeding. Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you focus, stay motivated and achieve your goals. By creating a mental picture of yourself successfully completing a job, even the worst tasks can feel like part of achieving something big.

Keep it positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions, and self-affirming statements will help you achieve your best. Take control of how you think, how you feel, how you act. Positivity will help you make the choices that lead to accomplishment.

Remember, motivation starts within. Find it, keep it and make it work for you. 

You’re enjoying this interview thanks to our devoted Global Ambassador Puja Chaudhury. She is a senior-year undergraduate student pursuing B.Tech. Her interests lie in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Robotics. She loves implementing new project ideas, writing, and traveling. She also has a lot of fun developing for the internet.