Women In Tech At Morgan Stanley

Women In Tech At Morgan Stanley Anjali Menon, VP Technology with Morgan Stanley, sits down with Rebecca Knight at Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.IntroductionGrowing up in India, Anjali didnt need to look very far for female role models in technology. She and her two sisters all had a knack for math and science and ultimately pursued careers related to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.A native of Bengaluru, a hub of technology and home to many startups, Anjali remembers learning in first grade to code in Basic, an elementary programming language, and using it to maneuver a digital turtle around a screen. In primary school, she learned other programming languages, such as Pascal and C, and thenas she put itwas on her way.Anjali earned a BE in Computer Science and Engineering from C.M.R. Institute of Technology in Bengaluru, India, and an MS in Computer Science from the Courant Inst itute of Mathematics, New York University. How did your love of technology lead you to Morgan Stanley?I always had a real aptitude for mathematics and sciencesits definitely a family trait. I was placed in a mathematics and sciences track in high school. In India, childrengirls and boys alikeare often encouraged to enter STEM-related fields, such as engineering, medicine, and computer science, as theres always a need for those types of positions.I came to New York City for graduate school, and it was there that I heard about Morgan Stanley and its three-month Technology Analyst Program. The program, known as TAP, involved intense, classroom-based training in application development, as well as in our various proprietary technologies. I liked the on-the-job training aspect of it, as well as the rotational structure, so I applied and was accepted to the program in 2011.I was first placed with Field and Client Technologies in the Wealth Management division and worked primarily as a cli ent-side developer on various reporting dashboards for Branch Managers and Financial Advisors. I later moved on to the capacity-metrics team, where we analyzed server metrics and reported on the health of the sectors infrastructure.Now, after seven years, Im an IT systems owner in Capital Markets, and I overlandsee development of the equities and options order-entry applications, as well as the syndicates validation engine. Theyre systems that our Financial Advisors use to validate and process stock-order placements, and they are essential to Morgan Stanleys trading operations.Over the course of your career, have you noticed a sea change for female technologists? Do you see more women entering the field and rising to leadership positions?Over the past few years at Morgan Stanley, Ive seen the gender gap in technology narrow. Were very fortunate to see more and more women applying, and being hired, to TAP.Representation is so important to young women in school and university. Its our responsibility as women technologists to be the change we wish to see in the world, so we need to actively reach out to these women and present ourselves as role models to develop a consistent pipeline through events like the firms Women in Technology panels, internship opportunities, and our Girls Who Code summer immersion program, to name a few.Youre an active participant in the firms annual rechtevergabe to the Grace Hopper Celebration, an international gathering of female technologists. What do you enjoy most about the event?Without question, I enjoy being around so many other talented female technologists and seeing what theyre working on in terms of research, either as academics or professionals in private companies. When I was in graduate school, men always outnumbered women, generally 60/40. So when youre at a conference surrounded by other women with similar backgrounds, interests, struggles and achievements, its simultaneously comforting and inspiring.As an experienced me mber of the firms delegation, Ill be doing a lot of formal and informal interviews with students who approach our booth at the conference. With 20,000 people scheduled to attend, we anticipate a lot of foot traffic. When I chat with students, I talk to them about their specific interests in technology. Seeing what candidates are interested in and what they can bring to the firm is always exciting.What do you say to students who are interested in entering STEM fields?Its so important to know yourself as a person, in terms of your preferences and the environment where youll be happiest. Develop a strong background in computer science, and remember that first impressions are often based on how you present on paper, so make sure all of your key accomplishments are reflected on your resume. Also, keep an eye out for important opportunities, from information sessions to internshipsanything that can lead to someone or something that can open a door.Asking questions is also a big part of an y job, so dont be afraid to speak up, especially if youre a woman. In addition, advocating for yourself is a big part of advancing and, ultimately, getting to where you want to go. Its always wonderful to have colleagues who will speak up for you, but a fundamental skill is learning to speak up for yourself, highlighting your own accomplishments and showing what youve personally brought to a team effort.What are some of your favorite things about working in tech? Whats been the most fun for you?Technology evolves constantlyits a vast engine that powers our business. Morgan Stanley computer scientists, in essence, build and curate that engine. Personally, I love the diversity of frameworks, languages, and platforms available to do so. As a result, theres never just one cookie-cutter method of solving a problem, and its the process of deciding among the myriad of possible solutions that I find the most challenging and, subsequently, most fulfilling.This article was originally written by Morgan Stanley. Visit Morgan Stanleys page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million constru ction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the wertzuwachs of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industr ies, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the i ndustry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income fhigkeit/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demand ing, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to plektrum up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.