FY19 Series
Courageous Leadership: Valerie Gionis
Courage in leadership requires us to use our voice and listen with an open mind fearlessly. Ms. Gionis will facilitate this interactive discussion and explore the traits of courageous leaders and how everyone, regardless of their position in an organization can use their voice to influence positive outcomes and inclusive corporate cultures.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. |
A big thank you to BD
for hosting this event. |
- Zemger, Jack, and Joseph Folkman. “What Great Listeners Actually Do.” Harvard Business Review, 14 July 2016, hbr.org/2016/07/what-great-listeners-actually-do
- Peppercorn, Susan. “How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure.” Harvard Business Review, 10 Dec. 2018, hbr.org/2018/12/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-failure.
- Smith, Khalil, et al. “How to Speak Up When It Matters.” Harvard Business Review, 4 Mar. 2019, hbr.org/2019/03/how-to-speak-up-when-it-matters.
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Key Takeaways
Courageous Leadership takes practice!
- 1. Honesty & Humility
- - Be honest with yourself, turning a blind eye to problems and hoping they disappear never works.
- - Confront problems constructively.
- - You don't need to have all the answers.
- - Be open to feedback. Ask for Help.
- 2. Strength & Perseverance
- - When problems surface, have the strength to address them.
- - Communicate openly.
- - Share info, don't hoard it.
- - Practice makes perfect. Hold yourself, your colleagues and your supervisors accountable.
Fear is a Liar!
Fear stands in the way of courageous leadership. Everybody brings bias into what they hear.
- - Identify your fear, confront it and overcome it.
- - Worst case scenarios are more daunting than reality.
- - Ask for help! Seek out mentors and people in your network.
Engineer your happiness: a guide to finding the perfect job for YOU: Supriya Thote
Most of us dread searching for, applying to and interviewing for jobs. This presentation aimed to simplify the process by taking an engineer’s approach to the problem.
Supriya Thote, our featured speaker, shared the resources and tried and true techniques necessary to make the process of searching for a job more approachable. She broke down the process into achievable goals and objectives providing our 16 attendees with a guide to finding the perfect job for them! |
A big thank you to Pacific Sotheby for hosting this event.
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Full Abstract
Most of us dread searching for, applying to and interviewing for jobs. This presentation aims to simplify the process by taking an engineer’s approach to the problem. This talk will provide attendees a template to help select the right keywords for an online job search, guidelines to develop a job search strategy, criteria for selecting which jobs to apply for, resources to prepare a winning application, interview tips and a timeline and checklist for reaching the goal – to land a new job. I will share resources and techniques I have personally used to land an amazing job after two months of unemployment. I hope to make the process of searching for a job or workforce re-entry more approachable by breaking it down into achievable goals and objectives. I also hope to provide collegians and graduate students entering the workforce with a clear picture and timeline of the interview process.
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1. Outline a specific and targeted strategy to secure a job.
2. Apply to a targeted list of jobs and maximize their chances of securing the job.
About Supriya:
Supriya is a R&D Engineer at the Callaway Golf Company located in San Diego, CA. She has a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Arkansas. She was unexpectedly unemployed for two months after her previous company relocated. During the time, Supriya dedicated herself to applying to jobs full-time and developed a strategy to optimize the process.
FY18 Series
Visibility in the Workplace: Cristina Amorim
In addition to recounting her impressive story of becoming a VP, Cristina Amorim, our featured speaker, provided our 20 attendees with three concrete strategies to implement for increasing their visibility in the workplace.
Visit the event announcement's blog post for more information about Cristina's background. The event wrapped up with a raffle and multiple attendees were the lucky winners of a SWE notebook and pen set! |
When: Wed May 16, 2018
[ Info / RSVP ] A big thank you to Thermo Fisher for hosting this event.
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Key Takeaways / What We Learned
Visibility: Point at what you've created and the results, not at yourself.
Three Strategies:
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1) Recognize the Spotlight
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- Leverage change encounters (coffee station, elevator, etc.)
- Create your own spotlight opportunities (sharing your accomplishments with higher ups, etc.)
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- Use the right message for the right audience ($ for executives, etc.)
- Be mindful of the amount of data you present
- Get input from colleagues in different departments (finance, etc.)
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- Roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches if you expect people to follow you! Be part of the movement.
Owning the Room: Cynthia Burnham - How to leverage your leadership edge
The event was a great success! Cynthia's engaging workshop received an abundance of positive feedback from many of the 27 attendees who participated.
Joan Fisher, our FY18 SWE-SD Treasurer and SWE Leadership Coach, kicked off the event and spoke about membership benefits, our section website updates and upcoming volunteer opportunities. Cynthia Burnham, our featured speaker, leadership coach and author, followed, walking the audience through what it takes to "own the room" and leverage your leadership edge. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” |
When: Thu Feb 15, 2018
[ Info / RSVP ] [ Click on the picture for event slideshow ]
A big thank you to Quartus Engineering for hosting this venue and to Nichole Mayer from Westpac Wealth Partners for providing food and beverages. |
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Key Takeaways / What We Learned
- People who act with apparent purpose seem more powerful, compelling and charismatic.
- Presence is a learnable skill / Being purposeful gives you presence.
We discussed the Nine Levers of Purposeful Presence:
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- Posture
- Appearance and Attire
- Gestures and Expressions
- Physical Connection
- Voice
- Articulation
- Words
- Mastering Nerves
- Attitude and Identity
On Presence and Purpose:
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- People with Presence Use Purposeful Body Language
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* Walk and Stand with Purpose (NYC Subway Walk, "Be" the Mountain, ...)
* Speak with expressive power and purpose (You cannot hear your voice as others hear it!)
- People with Presence Use Purposeful Language
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* Toss the verbal pillows! Get to the point! (i.e. reduce softening fillers, polite lies and false disclaimers. e.g. "I just wanted to...", "I'm sorry but...", etc.)
- People with Presence have a Purposeful Attitude

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