Role Models

Name:
Ellen

Title:
Co-Director of Engineering (at a software
startup company)

Path:
I got here via a strange and circuitous route. 
Before I went into engineering management, I was 
a user interface designer, designing software that 
enables people to collaborate and communicate 
across distance. Before that, I got my PhD at 
Stanford in psycholinguistics, learning how people
collaborate in conversation, which helped me learn
how to design software so it would be cooperative 
in "conversation" with the user. Before that, I was
a newspaper reporter. The only thing that ties all
this together is an interest and passion for 
communication and collaboration.

Comments:
In general, I would say follow your passion
rather than what you think you should do. Get 
yourself trained in the skills required to do
the type of work you care about most, and then 
pursue the opportunities that present themselves. 

Also, learn to negotiate well. It will help you 
get a good salary and then promotions and good
raises. Don't expect people to notice you and reward
you for good effort just because you deserve it. 
It's a sad fact that you have to ask for what you 
deserve or else people don't think you believe you're 
worth it. Negotiate for the best compensation 
package you can before you start a job (when you're
in the best negotiation position), and then let 
people know when you want to be promoted and given
a raise. Learn what is expected of you to earn 
those things and then do them.

Don't be afraid of power. Power lets you change
things to be better, kinder, more supportive of
people. Power lets you change the world to be
a better place.