Women in Technology: Learning to Just Be Myself

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Approximately 100 women and a handful of men gathered for a Women in Electronics evening event at APEX EXPO. As I wandered among the tables before it started, I stopped to chat with several women all wearing purple and white polo shirts emblazoned with the TTM logo. It turns out they are part of TTM’s Women in Technology Group, so I sat down with them and invited them to share their thoughts on coming to the event and what it means to be part of the electronics industry.

They each work in different parts of the company, as well as different locations, but they shared commonalities in their responses and feelings. From newcomers like Tiffany Trinh to veterans like Ingrid Swenson and Jessica DeSignor, they come together to network, have some laughs, and be reminded why they joined such an incredible industry.

Michelle Te: What made you decide to attend APEX EXPO and the Women in Electronics event this year?

Tiffany Trinh: I’m new to the industry, and right now I work for TTM Technologies in Forest Grove, Oregon. As a fresh grad, I just wanted to be exposed to the standards that abide by my process. I wanted to attend just to learn more about the organization and what we have to offer in terms of equipment and updates to the specs as well.

Taylor Tompkins: I wanted to attend APEX EXPO to talk to suppliers, of course, and have some more technical conversations. But probably the number one reason was to see my women's network. I love these women, and getting us all together. We get to be at this event tonight to just have fun and feel how big a community we really have. We have some supportive men here as well.

Te: What keeps you excited about working in the electronics industry?

Ingrid Swenson: I work for TTM Technologies in the Stafford, Connecticut, office. I started in this industry in 2007, so it’s been over 18 years, and one thing that keeps me excited about the electronics industry is that it's always changing. There are always new challenges, it's always evolving, and so it's really exciting to be part of that and to see the impact that we're having on the industry. There's no more exciting time than now with AI becoming so big.

Radars, for example, like what we make at TTM, are becoming so big, and it's awesome to be part of something that's growing and that's challenging and inspiring me every day.

Te: Now, let’s talk about mentorship. Who has helped you shape your career?

Elizabeth Cain: I work for TTM Technologies in Chippewa Falls. I didn't have a woman mentor at all. All my mentors have been men specifically, but they've been very supportive, and honestly, they make me feel welcome.

Even in my current role, I'm surrounded by all male engineers. We all get along really well and they're all very supportive of me. I can't ask for a better environment. I went to the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and the majority, about three-quarters, were men as well.

Tompkins: Ingrid has been my mentor and boss. She's just very understanding. We're both mothers, and so we understand that sometimes there needs to be flexibility in our schedules.

Sometimes we just need to be vulnerable for a little bit, close the door, and complain or just talk about real life, and that's what helps us to move forward to do better at our job afterward. We understand that womanhood.

Te: What advice would you give to a young woman who's just starting out in this field?

Swenson: We do an intern event every year for TTM, and one of the young females asked me, “In the industry, should I act like a man or should I act like a woman?” I said, “Act like yourself. Sometimes we feel like we have to be something instead of just really being who we are. I’ve felt like that for a while. Once I started owning who I am more as just a person and a leader, I've actually earned more respect and earned more responsibility and leadership. So, trust in yourself and who you are and be that person.

Carla Arnold: My path was different, as I am not an engineer. I worked in manufacturing in my early 20s and we made a component. The mix was at least 95% men, and being a woman, especially a young woman, was not exactly welcomed. I enjoyed the work and processes, so I kept my head high and just kept working and learning, which got me promoted several times before I left after three years. Coming back to manufacturing 20-some years later, some things are familiar, but it's also very different because we're making boards. I find comfort in that. It’s very different, but I really like it. 

But seeing more women has made a huge difference, because, again, I'm older. I enjoyed manufacturing back then, but it wasn't as comfortable when it was 95% men. Especially for someone not in engineering, having women at every level and in every aspect of the company makes it a fun, safe place to thrive. It’s a very different vibe and I'm excited for it. I also love coming to see these ladies and going to the sites (as part of corporate quality), and it makes me happy. 

So, my advice is to seek out others for support and use them as often as you need them, hold your head up, and be yourself. You can take yourself as far as you want to go, even in manufacturing.

Jessica DeSignor: When I was a young woman starting out in the industry, I felt like I had to know everything. People would talk about stuff, and maybe I didn't know what you knew. Maybe it was a little bit of imposter syndrome. My advice to women just starting out is that you don't have to know everything. It's okay to ask questions. As managers, we don't expect people starting off to know everything.

Learn as much as you can from your mentors. Find a mentor and learn from them. I love that Ingrid said to be yourself. That's really huge.

Te: Why do you think the Women in Electronics event is so important?

DeSignor: It's important because you need to see other women in the industry, in the field, and women in director positions. You need to see that because, a lot of times, I feel like it's just me and a bunch of guys. So, to see other women’s faces and see what they're doing with their careers is important.

Arnold: This is my third year with the Association, and I was talking to someone earlier who had mentioned how many more women are here. Every year, there are just more and more women. You see it in different positions and we're everywhere. It's really good to see that. It's very inspiring. Maybe there will be more of us than men soon.

Te: Does anyone have any closing thoughts about working in the industry or something you love about your job?

Swenson: One thing we've started in TTM is our Women in Technology group. We love coming to this event with this group because we share a lot of commonalities that sometimes we don't feel like we're allowed to do, maybe, or that we're noticing on the job.

As being female, sometimes we might be less apt to ask questions or ask for help. Taylor and I talk about a lot that. Learning that and learning from each other and building each other up has been really big for us. We feel like we hear that here, too, just commonalities that you have in your personality that you can work on as a woman in the industry.

Te: Ladies, thank you so much. I really appreciate it and I hope that you have a great time tonight.

After I left the TTM table, I made my way to the front of the room and sat down with Alejandra Zavala and her colleague, Lupe. I asked some similar questions of Alejandra, who’s fairly new to the industry and has a background in shipping. She works as a project coordinator at Element Materials Technology in Anaheim. She doesn’t have a degree in engineering, but has already become certified in IPC-A-600 and is looking forward to getting certified in other specs.

Te: Alejandra, what made you decide you wanted to attend this event tonight?

Alejandra Zavala: I've been in this industry for about a year, so I'm new to this whole field of electronics. When I saw that we were going to have a women's reception, I was really interested because we hardly get recognized as women, and I feel like this field is mostly dominated by men.

I wanted to see more women in the same field as me. I like to learn, and I would like to connect with other women who are in the same field and see what we can learn about each other.

Te: What do you find exciting about working in the industry?

Zavala: It's many things in general. I enjoy what I do. I love my current position. From my point of view and from what I do, I like learning about the parts that we test for, like for Raytheon military and other companies.

It's interesting to learn where the parts will go. For example, we're testing these materials that are going on an airplane or a missile, and so it's pretty interesting.

Te: That really helps a lot when you know the destination of what you’re working on and that it makes a difference.

Zavala: It is exciting. I agree.

Te: Do you have a mentor, someone who’s helping you along and showing you what to do?

Zavala: Everyone in my facility has been really helpful because they know I'm brand new to this field. I started from scratch. But one of the managers at my facility, his name is Eric, and he's the Raytheon manager, is the one who has mentored me the most, in general. My other managers as well, Josephine and Cesar, but mostly Eric.

Te: In what ways has he been most helpful?

Zavala: He answers my questions, and even if he doesn't have the answer to it, he always finds a way to help me out, or he guides me to the correct person.

Te: That's great. How do you see yourself growing and changing after a year in this industry?

Zavala: I actually started in shipping and then I got promoted three months later to project coordinator, so I have learned a lot. They just threw me in the fire.

Te: Now they’ve sent you here to this event, so that must show a lot about how much they trust you. Do you have any advice for someone who's thinking of getting into this field or starting a job like you did?

Zavala: I would tell them not to be scared, to always take the risk. I always learn new things, and it doesn't matter if you get paid or not for it. Just learn new things and always be open.

Te: Did you imagine when you left high school that you would be in a career like this? How did you find out about the job in the first place?

Zavala: I never imagined. I didn't even know this kind of field existed. I was looking for an office job because I have a background in international exporting or shipping. So, an agency I was working with called me and said that Element was looking for someone to fill a shipping position, and I had the experience. Once I was hired, I started learning more, and learning about Raytheon. Then I was promoted to project coordinator.

Te: Why do you think events like Women in Electronics are important?

Zavala: As women, we are amazing; we deserve the recognition. I feel like this field is mostly dominated by men, but women can do it too. We just see things differently.

Thank you to Alejandra and the woman at TTM for sharing their thoughts. I finished up the interview with Alejandra just as the program was about to begin. Carrie Sessine, chief communication officer for the Global Electronics Association, welcomed everyone and introduced the keynote speaker, comedian Jan McInnis.

Be sure to read my interview with Jan, who comes from a completely different industry but understands the challenges of finding recognition in a field mostly dominated by men. As some of the other women stated, she enjoyed working alongside them, and learning that being herself is what has mattered most.