Take Command of Your Career: Practicing Self-Advocacy as a Woman in Tech

Last updated at Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:49:05 GMT

As the year draws to a close, it’s essential—and often expected—to reflect on our achievements and lessons learned in preparation for annual performance reviews and setting future goals.For women in tech, this reflection period can be an especially powerful tool. The industry often demands that women work harder to prove their worth in spaces where their contributions are sometimes overlooked or undervalued. Performance reviews and goal-setting moments are opportunities to take command of your career, highlight your contributions, and advocate for your worth.

Many women, particularly those in male-dominated fields like tech, have been conditioned to prioritize modesty over self-promotion. This can make self-advocacy feel uncomfortable, even though it is essential for career growth. As a result, performance reviews often provoke anxiety instead of empowerment. It’s common for women to downplay their achievements or struggle to articulate their value in a way that feels authentic.Shifting this narrative is critical. Self-advocacy isn’t about bragging; it’s about ensuring that your contributions are recognized and valued in spaces where they might otherwise be overlooked.

Why Self-Advocacy Matters for Women in Tech

In male-dominated industries, women often face additional challenges, such as biases around competence, communication styles, and leadership potential. Self-advocacy helps combat these challenges by ensuring your contributions are visible and your goals are clear. Advocating for yourself helps you recognize your value and push back against imposter syndrome—a common experience for women in underrepresented spaces.

When you embrace self-advocacy, you empower yourself to ask for the opportunities, recognition, and compensation you deserve. But how can you self-advocate in a way that feels authentic and impactful? Here are some strategies that have helped me navigate and excel in self-advocacy while working in tech.

Keep a Hype Document

When preparing for a review or manager conversation, it’s easy to forget big wins from the past 6-12 months, making the process feel daunting.

To stay on top of this, I keep a ‘Hype Document’ that I update monthly. I track every positive contribution—big or small—with notes on its impact, alignment to goals, and connection to Rapid7’s core values. This document becomes my go-to for 1:1s, reviews, and team discussions, ensuring I always have relevant wins ready to share.

It’s also a great confidence booster when imposter syndrome creeps in, reminding me of my progress and value. At year-end reviews, it turns what could feel overwhelming into an empowering opportunity to demonstrate my impact with clear, compelling evidence.

Make the most of 1:1s

Weekly or bi-weekly 1:1s are a great opportunity to steer conversations with your manager. When employees take the lead, it shows they’re managing their responsibilities effectively, builds trust, and helps managers assess readiness for growth opportunities.

I apply the same approach with my own boss—using 1:1s to provide updates, seek guidance, and demonstrate my readiness for new challenges, which supports my career advancement.

Prepare ahead by setting an agenda, highlighting recent wins, and sharing the impact of your work. Even the best managers can’t see everything, so use this time to ensure your contributions are recognized and identify areas for growth or improvement.

Map out your goals

In order to know how and when to advocate for yourself, you need to have a clear direction of what your desired outcome is. Define your career aspirations clearly, whether it’s leadership, technical expertise, or a shift in focus. This clarity helps you communicate your vision to others and align their support.

Share your expectations

Your manager can’t help you meet goals they don’t know about. Use your voice to ask for what you want, whether it’s a salary increase, leadership role, or new focus area.

Be clear and transparent about your aspirations. This is your career, not a hobby—take ownership and communicate your expectations confidently. Your manager can provide feedback, identify skill gaps, and outline next steps to help you move forward.

Remember, your manager should be your second-biggest advocate—you must be your first.

Nail your elevator pitch

In tech, roles and contributions can be highly technical, making it harder to summarize your value. Crafting a strong elevator pitch helps you translate your contributions into relatable, impactful terms.

For example, instead of saying, “I manage the Proposal team,” try:
“I manage a global team of accredited Proposal Managers. We drive tens of millions of dollars in revenue annually by winning bids and ensuring smooth contract processes.”

Grow your network and seek mentorship

Nobody achieves a great career all on their own. Networking—whether internal, external, or through mentorship—sets you up for success.

At Rapid7, I’ve used our InsightCoffee program to connect with colleagues across teams. These conversations have opened doors to collaboration, deepened my understanding of the business, and given me opportunities to share my goals and practice my elevator pitch.

Many organizations also have internal chats and channels for communication. Put yourself out there—share information, offer help, and build connections. People remember those who teach them something or lend a hand in tough moments, so look for opportunities to add value.

Mentorship is another way to grow your network and address skills gaps. This could mean finding a mentor or offering to mentor someone else. My mentor relationships have been invaluable as sounding boards for feedback and advice.

Efforts like these increase your visibility and grow your network, which are key to leadership and enhancing your personal brand.

Solicit (and give!) Feedback

Like many tech companies, Rapid7 uses a 360-feedback tool to help employees identify strengths and areas for growth. Using this tool regularly can feel intimidating, especially when requesting constructive feedback, but keeping an open mind allows you to unlock its value as a resource for long-term success.

Providing feedback is just as important. It’s a chance to celebrate others’ achievements, strengthen relationships, and connect around shared goals. Embracing feedback—both giving and receiving—helps you build stronger connections and demonstrate the impact of your work.

Wrapping Up

If I were to summarize the main takeaways from self-advocacy, it comes down to this:

Believe you deserve it, and shamelessly ask for it.

Start small when implementing these practices. Share a few wins in your 1:1s, ask your manager what they consider noteworthy, or spend time networking to discuss your goals and challenges. You could also share a big win in a team meeting or ask others how they approach self-advocacy. It’s not a dirty word—it’s about recognizing your value and earning the recognition you deserve to advance your career.

While self-advocacy may feel uncomfortable at first, the more you practice, the more natural it becomes. Growth happens outside your comfort zone—you deserve it, and you can do it!

What’s more, every step you take to advocate for yourself inspires others, raising your profile while fostering a culture of growth and fulfillment. As the saying goes, ‘a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle’.

To learn more about the culture at Rapid7, our Rapid7 Women’s community, and other resources, visit our careers page.