Life at Cadence Blogs

Women’s History Month recognizes the contributions of women to our history and society. It is a time to reflect on women’s achievements and encourage the continued advancement of gender equality. At Cadence, we want to recognize the women who have made an impact on our company and the future of technology. You can read about our women’s mentorship program and hear from the winners of our recent Cadence Women in Technology Scholarship program.

This month, I had the opportunity to interview five Cadence women from around the globe to further celebrate Women’s History Month. They shared what Women’s History Month signifies for them, talk about their journeys as women in tech, and advice they would impart to young women pursuing careers in the tech field. Read some of the inspiring remarks from Neeti, Helen, Thamara, Dimitra, and Pooja!

Neeti Bhatnagar, Sr. Software Engineering Group Director, San Jose

What does Women’s History Month mean to you? 

For me, Women’s History Month means remembering the pioneering women scientists and technologists, such as Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace, and Grace Hopper, who were inspirations for me as a young computer scientist. It also means continuing to be inspired by brilliant scientists who have made history in my lifetime, such as Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani, Dr. Katie Bouman, Dr. Frances Arnold, and Dr. France Córdova. It means being grateful for growing up watching my older women cousins who are physicists, economists, and mechanical engineers breaking barriers to become the best in their fields. Therefore, it never occurred to me that there were any limitations to what I could do just because of my gender. I sincerely hope that women won’t need a special month set aside in the future because there will be just as many women as men achieving these heights in every field.

What is an experience you’ve had as a woman in technology that has shaped your career?

The limited number of women role models and women mentors in senior positions has had an impact. It both inspired me to not let that be a limiting factor and to also change the status quo. I have had the fortune of spending time with one of our illustrious Cadence Board Members, Maggie Wilderotter, and learned so much from her. I wonder what it would be like if we had many more leaders like her at every level and across all the industries.

What advice would you give to a woman pursuing a career in your field?

Do what you love and do it well. Even if you don’t love it, do it well. Keep learning. Maximize, but don’t perfect. Don’t limit yourself by your titles and roles. Pivot, adapt, and evolve. Understand what you do in terms of the impact on the customer and the impact on the organization and business. Don’t forget to present the impact of your contributions internally and externally.

Helen Zhan, Design Engineer Group Director, Beijing

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

I’m proud to be a woman in technology. Through this special month, I have a chance to revisit the milestones I’ve achieved and set new goals for the future. I will take this opportunity to hear many success stories from other women in tech, which will greatly impact me. I will also build more connections with new women friends, to share thoughts and experiences with them. 

What is an experience you’ve had as a woman in technology that has shaped your career?

I keep myself up to date on the leading technology trends. Whenever facing difficult situations in my career, I always have a “can-do” attitude and drive myself to be result-oriented.

What advice would you give to a woman pursuing a career in your field?

I have some advice for women in the semiconductor industry. First, you should have a solid technical background. Try to spend time continually learning about advanced technology in the industry. Second, whenever you start working on a new task, try to think about it and find a more efficient way to finish it with high quality. Thinking power is very important and will help your career.

Thamara Andrade, Lead Software Engineer, Belo Horizonte

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

Women’s History Month is not only about celebrating the achievements of the great women who make a difference in our society, but also a month to reflect, encourage discussions, increase awareness, and call for action on topics like women’s empowerment, gender parity, and equality of sexes.

What is an experience you’ve had as a woman in technology that has shaped your career?

When I first applied to the internship that would later lead me to my software engineer position, I was called for a technical interview, and, at that point, I convinced myself I was not good enough for the job and declined the interview. Luckily, awesome people were managing that hiring process and they convinced me to go ahead with the interview. I did and got the intern position. It was years until I could understand that what happened there was a manifestation of impostor’s syndrome, a psychological phenomenon in which one doubts one’s accomplishments, very common among women. Ever since, I try my best not to let my doubts make me miss great opportunities. If I say no to an opportunity, it needs to be because it's really not good for me or my career, and not because I don't think I'm skilled enough for it.

What advice would you give to a woman pursuing a career in your field?

Get to know yourself, your aspirations, your strengths, and also your weaknesses. Highlight the strengths and work on the weaknesses. Speak up! Don’t let your fear hold you back. Ask questions, suggest new ideas, own the knowledge you have, and don’t be afraid to say you don’t know.

Dimitra Papazoglou, Lead Application Engineer, Bracknell

 What does Women’s History Month mean to you? 

I grew up with my two sisters, my mom, and my dad. My dad, being the only man in the family, taught us that ‘women can climb ladders’. To this day, my life has been based on this quote. To me, Women’s History Month is a celebration of the most influential women who contributed to shape the personal and professional lives of my mother, my sisters, myself, and all women.

What is an experience you’ve had as a woman in technology that has shaped your career?

10 days after my graduation, I moved to England to start my internship in a male-dominated industry working with people with much more experience than myself. When my internship year finished, my lack of confidence made me feel that I wanted to go back to my comfort zone: my country and my old life. But then I decided to be brave. I took the risk, worked on improving my body language and technical skills, and I stayed. Today, I’m pleased to have been working at the same company for over six years. During these years, Cadence gave me the opportunity to lead impactful projects and get rewarded for my contribution. Taking the risk to stay was the best decision I have ever made.

What advice would you give to a woman pursuing a career in your field?

Be confident and strong, always have a career plan, and seek opportunities, don’t wait for them.

Pooja Pangoria, Solutions Architect, Bangalore

 What does Women’s History Month mean to you? 

I was privileged to have been born to parents where I never realized that we are any different than anyone. This realization of difference, if not discrimination, dawned on me when my relatives and neighbors started asking my parents why not try for another male baby. My mother fighting against society and proving to them again and again that they were incorrect in their assumptions makes me want to celebrate womanhood.

Though I was fortunate enough not to see these differences in my daily life, the struggles of girls around me made me realize why so. Assertiveness towards my needs and wants, being confident enough to voice them, and the compulsive drive to work towards them helped me in my growth. My ambitions and aspirations as a girl, which went against the society we were in, made me rebellious and more motivated to improve myself.

My rebellious journey in life, my parents' fight for me, and their support towards my ambitions helped me define my path in my career. To me, Women’s History Month is a celebration of my mother’s life journey. I am what I am because of her, though it sounds very cliché.

What is an experience you’ve had as a woman in technology that has shaped your career?

I have always been very clear in my mind what I would like to work on and where I would like to work. Though there were ever-changing needs at different times in my personal life, I actually never compromised on work. I realized this at a very critical point in my life. I decided to leave a company instead of repeatedly asking for better projects. The reason I was given was that I just had a baby, hence I needed personal time. I left that company within three months. It was very important for my peace of mind to have an environment where you feel cherished for your work and you consider yourself to be a vital part of the team, irrespective of your gender. The drive to excel is the same for all, so why should I be treated differently. This experience taught me that it is really important to communicate, and, if need be, assert yourself and your needs as a professional. Be confident that you can pull it off. I believe only then we can do wonders.

What advice would you give to a woman pursuing a career in your field?

Constant learning at work is key to improving yourself. No matter if you have one year of experience or 15 years, there is always something new to learn at your work. Technology is ever-evolving—what you know now may be obsolete in five years. It is important to constantly update yourself; this will help you “choose” where you want to work and “what” you want to work on. Do your work with pride and show it off if you did well, or else, take feedback positively and improve. Admit what you don’t know; there is no failure in saying you don’t know but are willing to learn. Be attentive and ask questions when you don’t understand. It is important to voice your opinion when you think it will make an impact. The last, but most important point, be confident in your work and take pride in it.