By: Emily, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is it so difficult for women to excel in their STEM career?”
In the past, I too, have asked this same question as I struggled through my own professional course. I was constantly met with the expectations for what others thought being a successful woman in tech looked like. I received feedback on how I could improve myself to achieve success. I have been told time and time again that I need to “do this” or I need to “change that”. While trying to navigate my career as a woman in tech, I was also welcomed into the Neurodiverse community.
The Neurodiverse community recognizes that people experience and interact with the world around them in many ways; there is no singular “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving. I was more determined than ever to not only pave my success as a woman in STEM, but now as a Neurodivergent woman in STEM.
Looking back on my career, some leaders who were meant to guide and help me grow were unfortunately breaking me down to try and fit me into the professional mold they thought the ideal tech woman was. It felt as though I was being turned into a version of myself that didn’t align with my true values. Why wasn’t I enough just as I was?
When joining Fidelity, I felt it was important to work for a company that not only had aligning missions and values to my own but would allow for me to play a role in progressing my own ideals forward. This time around, I was motivated to change my perspective on fitting into the “tech mold” and understand why it always felt like I could never keep up. When I was welcomed into the Neurodivergent community, the fire in me ignited, and I began advocating for myself and those around me who shared similar experiences.
Data tells us that women are more likely to be diagnosed with a Neurodivergent superpower much later in life. That couldn’t be truer for me. I felt like I could finally take a breath. I wasn’t broken. I stopped questioning my capability and became my own ally.
I spent the next few months hearing the same feedback as in my past, but I looked at it from a different lens. A more self-aware lens. I went so far as to build up enough courage to ask for the help that I needed. Again, the act of advocating for myself sparked a true fire within me. I felt like I finally figured it out.
STEM careers have often been dominated by men and, as such, the rules and standards for what it takes to be successful weren’t written for people that don’t fit that original mold. When it finally clicked for me, I could lean into my Neurodivergent nature and build a community for myself based on self-advocacy and writing my own set of rules for success.
The culture at Fidelity has been instrumental in helping me achieve that. I have built a professional network of eclectic and multi-passioned individuals that challenge me as well as help me navigate my way through uncharted territory. I have been encouraged to ask questions, speak up, be open to experiencing new things, travel, and above all – bring my most authentic self to every table. Being welcomed into the Neurodiverse community and practicing self-advocacy, has made me more dedicated and grateful to be employed at Fidelity. It has also brought me closer to whom I have always aspired to be and for that I am grateful.
