How I Thrive in Technology at McAfee

By: Hannah, Software Quality Assurance Engineer

I joined the McAfee Quality Assurance team at the Brighton office earlier this year. It was immediately obvious that the company is determined to encourage more women into technology roles.

At McAfee, I have a voice, I’m heard, and my skills, experience and capabilities are valued and taken seriously. My team is warm and friendly, as well as having a fierce desire to produce the best work we possibly can, working together. Approachability and transparency are key to the company culture. It’s a real breath of fresh air!

5 Ways to Thrive

The McAfee culture presents women considering moving to technology roles with great opportunities. Here are my top 5 tips to make the most of the opportunity, based on my experience here.

1. Make the Most of Your Uniqueness

Don’t focus on how few women there are in your team, the company or the industry. Concentrate on what you can contribute. You are unique. No one else, woman or man, can be to your team what you can. Make the most of you!

2. Be the Wise Fool

Wise fools ask the questions that need to be asked, even if others may think they are foolish. It’s often those very questions that unblock a project, move it forward, uncover vital insights and open new possibilities. I quickly discovered that when I ask questions, I’m a lot more effective and successful.

3. Get a Mentor; Be a Mentor

I can’t over-state the importance of mentoring. Find the right mentor! Mentors bring a different perspective to your challenges, opportunities, and how you are perceived in the team, as well as expanding your knowledge, skills and understanding.

On the flip-side, being a mentor, as well as offering all this to your mentee, will also help you broaden your perspectives and improve your communication skills. Pay it forward!

4. Don’t Underestimate Yourself

Let me emphasize this, it’s so important! Never underestimate yourself. Be confident. Own your knowledge, experience, skills and capabilities. Seize every opportunity to use them.

Confidence builds confidence. As you step out, you’ll discover that you can do and achieve things you never thought possible, and your confidence, and your team’s confidence in you, will grow.

5. Go For It

Don’t hold back. Don’t put things off. Step out, experiment and float ideas. Speak up and speak out. Treat your peers as equals. Expect to be taken seriously – at McAfee you will be. You can do amazing things, so get out there and do them!

The McAfee slogan is right on: together is power!

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