Get Smarter 🧠

Upskill with Maven

If you’ve been thinking about sharpening your skills but don’t know where to start, Maven’s growing library of free courses is one of the best low-lift, high-impact ways to upskill. These short, expert-led classes are designed for busy professionals—especially consultants—who want actionable frameworks, not fluff. I like to listen to these when I have 30 minutes available in between meetings because it helps me keep up to date with the newest trends and keep my skillsets relevant.

Some course topics I’ve completed:

• Agentic AI-enabled coding

• Go-to-Market Engineering

• User-Centric Product Led Growth

• How to scale a business with AI

Get Richer 💰

How to actually save money on Black Friday

To make sure you’re scoring real deals (not marketing mirages), start by creating a pre-sale price baseline. Track the items you care about a week or two in advance, then compare those numbers to the “sale” prices. Many retailers quietly raise prices before discounting them, so knowing the true starting point protects your wallet.

Tech products with strong deals on BF:

• Laptops

• Streaming Devices

• Charging/Power Accessories

• Smart Home Tech

• Smartwatches and fitness wearables

Finally, avoid impulse buys by setting a simple rule: If you wouldn’t buy it at full price, don’t buy it on sale.

Get Happier 🌻

The “No Social Media” Trend: A Reset Your Mind Might Need

Many people are experimenting with a “no social media” season—and for good reason. Stepping back from the endless scroll can dramatically reduce comparison fatigue, decision overload, and that low-grade anxiety we stop noticing when we’re constantly plugged in.

One of my 2025 New Year’s Resolutions was to limit my time on social media, so I’ve only been tuning into Instagram on weekends and have completely turned off notifications. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my mood, and I’d recommend you try it yourselves! For 2026, I’m going to also limit my LinkedIn cadence to once a week.

You don’t have to disappear forever. Even a short break—one week, one weekend, or evenings only—can help reset your brain, rebuild attention, and create healthier boundaries.

This week, our topic is on go-to-market strategy, an area where I’ve increasingly been pulled into at work. A Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy defines how a product or service reaches its target customers and achieves competitive advantage. For technology consultants, crafting a GTM strategy means aligning technical expertise with business outcomes to deliver measurable value to clients.

Breaking down GTM

The foundation of a strong GTM strategy begins with market segmentation and positioning. Whether you are working on a digital product or a service offering, you must identify high-impact customer segments—industries or agencies with the greatest pain points—and articulate a clear value proposition that differentiates their offering from competitors. In other words, who are the customers/end users you are targeting, what are the biggest challenges, and does your product or service solve this problem for them?

Next, a channel and partnership strategy determines how solutions will reach those customers. This could include direct sales, strategic alliances with software vendors, or reseller agreements that extend reach and credibility. Technology consultants often find success by co-selling with cloud platforms or integrating with established enterprise ecosystems.

A data-driven messaging and enablement plan ensures consistent communication across sales, marketing, and delivery teams. Clear, outcome-focused messaging—supported by case studies and ROI data—helps build trust and accelerate adoption.

Finally, continuous measurement and iteration are key. Using analytics to assess conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and satisfaction metrics enables agile refinement of tactics. For consultants, a well-executed GTM strategy transforms technical solutions into sustainable business growth.

Go-To-Market Engineering

This brings me to another topic that with the advent of AI in sales and marketing has evolved this discipline — GTM engineering. GTME is the ability to use data and AI tools to optimize the best go-to-market strategy for a product or service you are trying to sell. It is an emerging field within GTM that is increasingly becoming more valuable now that the market is saturated with so many different digital products.

If you’re interested in learning more about GTM engineering, I’d recommend checking out this article that breaks it down.

What’s next for Women in Tech Consulting

When I launched this newsletter a year ago, my goal was to create a space where women could build both the technical and soft skills needed to accelerate their careers. Since then, our community has grown tremendously — our articles have sparked meaningful discussions, been widely shared, and I’ve had the privilege of working with many of you on your individual career journeys.

Starting in November, Women in Tech Consulting will transition to a monthly newsletter, freely available to all subscribers. For those seeking more personalized support, our paid subscription will include up to four individual career coaching sessions.

I made this shift to stay true to the original mission of this platform: helping women reach their fullest potential. The new monthly format will feature in-depth content, actionable insights, and curated open roles for those exploring new opportunities.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for your continued support. Here’s to growth, connection, and the exciting paths ahead — upwards and onwards!

Whether you are growing in your career as a consultant or you want to start offering your own freelance services, mastering the art of the sales pitch is critical for being able to sell.

What’s the problem?

A powerful sales pitch starts with listening, not talking. Before presenting your product or service, it’s essential to deeply understand the problems your potential customers face. Take time to ask questions about their current processes, challenges, and pain points. By actively listening, you not only uncover the issues they’re trying to solve but also build trust and credibility. Customers are more receptive when they feel heard and understood.

Connect the dots

Once you’ve identified their challenges, the next step is bridging the gap between the problem and your solution. A great pitch doesn’t just highlight features; it connects the dots between the customer’s needs and the unique value your offering provides. Use clear, relatable examples to show how your solution makes their lives easier, saves them time, or reduces costs. The more specific and tailored you can make this connection, the stronger your pitch will resonate.

Read more

A Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) model is a type of artificial intelligence that blends two powerful approaches: retrieval of information from external sources and generative AI. Unlike traditional language models, which rely solely on pre-trained knowledge, RAG models actively pull in up-to-date, relevant data from a knowledge base or database before generating a response.

Here’s why this matters for consultants in tech: RAG models reduce “hallucinations” (when AI confidently gives incorrect answers) by grounding outputs in real, verifiable content. For example, instead of relying on outdated training data, a RAG model can query a company’s internal documents, reports, or case studies, then weave that retrieved knowledge into its answers.

For female tech consultants working with clients, this means smarter, more reliable AI applications. Whether you’re advising on digital transformation, knowledge management, or client communication tools, RAG can provide a strategic edge. Imagine a client-facing chatbot that not only explains a product but pulls the latest compliance guidelines or market research directly into the conversation.

Read more

Our second article this week is on Agile! In today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, learning Agile methodologies is no longer optional for tech consultants—it’s essential. Clients expect solutions that are both adaptable and delivered quickly, and Agile provides a proven framework to meet those expectations. Unlike traditional project management approaches, Agile emphasizes iterative progress, customer collaboration, and responsiveness to change.

For consultants, this translates into clear benefits. Mastery of Agile enables better alignment with client goals, as feedback loops ensure that solutions evolve in real time with business needs. It also improves communication across cross-functional teams, fostering transparency and accountability. By applying frameworks such as Scrum or Kanban, consultants can break down complex initiatives into manageable increments, reducing risk and increasing the likelihood of delivering value early and often.

Agile is more than a process—it’s a mindset that positions consultants as trusted partners who can guide organizations through uncertainty. As industries embrace digital transformation, the demand for consultants skilled in Agile practices continues to rise. Investing in Agile knowledge not only enhances credibility but also equips consultants with the tools to drive innovation, adaptability, and long-term client success. Take a look at some resources I curated that can train you in agile methodologies!

Free Resources

Guides & Reading

1. Atlassian Agile Coach – Free, practical playbooks on Scrum, Kanban, Agile ceremonies, and scaling.
   👉 https://www.atlassian.com/agile

2. Scrum Guides (Official) – By Ken Schwaber & Jeff Sutherland, the definitive 13-page handbook for Scrum.
   👉 https://scrumguides.org

3. Agile Manifesto & Principles – The original Agile values and principles.
   👉 https://agilemanifesto.org

4. Agile Alliance Resource Library – Articles, experience reports, and videos from practitioners.
   👉 https://www.agilealliance.org/resources/

5. Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Big Picture – Free online knowledge base for Agile at scale.
   👉 https://scaledagileframework.com

Courses & Learning

6. Coursera – “Agile with Atlassian Jira” (Audit free) – Hands-on intro to Agile and Jira (no certificate unless you pay).
   👉 https://www.coursera.org/learn/agile-atlassian-jira

7. edX – “Introduction to Agile Project Management” (Free audit) – University-level Agile overview.
   👉 https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-agile-project-management

8. OpenLearn (The Open University) – “Agile Leadership and Management” – Free course exploring Agile culture and leadership.
   👉 https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-business/agile-leadership-and-management/content-section-overview

Videos & Community

9. Scrum Alliance YouTube Channel – Talks, tutorials, and webinars from Agile coaches.
   👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/ScrumAlliance

10. LinkedIn Agile Community (Free Groups) – Discussions, shared resources, and peer learning.
    👉 Search for “Agile & Scrum Professionals” on LinkedIn.

Hi all! I was out traveling these past few weeks, so I will be sending out two articles this week (starting with this one)!

Today’s topic centers on professional organizations tailored to women working professionals.

Being part of a professional organization can be a valuable step in career growth and community building, but it also comes with considerations.

Pros: Networking

One of the biggest advantages is networking. Membership offers access to peers, mentors, and leaders in the field, which can lead to collaborations, job opportunities, or partnerships. Professional organizations also provide learning opportunities through conferences, webinars, and publications, keeping members informed about the latest trends, research, and best practices. Many also offer certifications or continuing education credits that can strengthen professional credibility. Beyond career advancement, these organizations create a sense of belonging and shared purpose, which can be particularly meaningful in specialized or evolving industries.

Cons: Time and Membership Fees

On the other hand, there are drawbacks. Membership fees can be high, and not all organizations deliver enough tangible value to justify the cost. Time commitments for conferences, events, or volunteering can also be significant, particularly for busy professionals balancing multiple responsibilities. Additionally, the benefits of membership may depend on how engaged the individual is—joining passively without participating often results in little return.

Ultimately, being part of a professional organization is most valuable when approached strategically. Active engagement can open doors and foster growth, while careful evaluation ensures the investment of time and money pays off.

List of professional women’s organizations

• Chief (For more senior level or C-Suite women)

• Her Workplace

• Women in Technology International

• Women in Product

• Monday Girl

• The Old Girl’s Club

• AmplifyHer

• The Female Lead

• Women in Bio

If you’ve been job hunting lately, you’ve probably noticed things feel… different. That’s because AI has completely changed how companies find and hire talent. Instead of a person reading every resume, most applications are now screened by AI-powered systems that scan for keywords, rank candidates, and sometimes even draft interview questions for recruiters.

It can feel intimidating — like you’re trying to impress a robot before you ever get to speak to a real person. But here’s the good news: you can use AI to your advantage, too.

Tools like ChatGPT can help you quickly tailor your resume and cover letter to match a job description (without sounding cookie-cutter). AI can also help you prep for interviews by generating practice questions or even summarizing company research so you feel confident walking into that first conversation.

Networking is shifting, too. Platforms like LinkedIn use algorithms to recommend connections and open roles based on your profile. Staying active — sharing posts, engaging with others, and updating your skills — increases your chances of landing in front of the right people.

Tips for using AI in your job search

Tailor Your Resume and Cover Letters Instantly

AI tools like ChatGPT or Teal can rewrite your resume to match each job description, ensuring the right keywords are included to pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) — and save you hours of editing.

Generate Personalized Interview Prep

You can feed a job description into an AI tool and have it create likely interview questions, suggest strong answers, and even simulate mock interviews to help you feel confident.

Highlight (and Fix) Your Skills Gaps

AI career platforms can analyze job postings and compare them to your resume, showing you which skills are missing — and recommend online courses or certifications to close those gaps.

Optimize Your Online Presence

AI can audit your LinkedIn profile, suggest headline improvements, and help you craft posts that showcase your expertise, making you more discoverable to recruiters.

Streamline Networking and Role Discovery

AI-powered tools on LinkedIn and other job boards can surface hidden opportunities, suggest people to connect with, and even draft outreach messages that feel personal yet professional.

The concept of a job report card appeared on a popular podcast I listen to called Per my Last Email.The powerful self-assessment tool, a personal job “report card,” involves reviewing your current role through three lenses: career goals, learning accomplishments, and organizational comparison.

Career Goals

Start with your career goals—are you progressing toward them? Assess whether your current responsibilities, promotions, or professional development align with your long-term ambitions.

Learning Accomplishments

Next, consider your learning accomplishments. Have you gained new skills, certifications, or experiences that increase your value and engagement? Reflect on what you've learned in the last 6–12 months and how it contributes to your growth.

Company Comparison

Lastly, compare this company with others you've worked for. Examine factors like leadership support, work-life balance, compensation, culture, and innovation. Where does your current employer stand out or fall short? This reflection can clarify whether your current position is helping or hindering your overall career satisfaction.

By grading yourself in these areas, you gain clarity about what’s working, what’s lacking, and whether a change is needed. A job report card can be an important tool for proactive career management and strategic decision-making, and as someone who has worked for many different companies, this is an exercise that helps me stay grounded!

In today's digital ecosystem, omnichannel marketing is more than a buzzword—it's a strategic imperative. For technology consultants advising clients on digital transformation, understanding the foundations of omnichannel digital marketing is key to delivering cohesive and results-driven solutions.

What is omnichannel marketing?

At its core, omnichannel marketing is about delivering a seamless, personalized customer experience across all touchpoints—websites, mobile apps, social media, email, SMS, in-store, and beyond. Unlike multichannel strategies, which often operate in silos, omnichannel approaches integrate data and messaging across platforms to create a unified brand journey.

• Centralized Data Architecture: A robust CRM or customer data platform (CDP) is essential. It enables real-time data collection, unifies customer profiles, and supports personalization across channels. Consultants should assess clients’ data infrastructure for scalability and interoperability.

• Orchestrated Customer Journeys: Omnichannel success relies on mapping customer journeys and using automation tools (like journey builders and trigger-based workflows) to guide users across channels based on their behavior and preferences. This requires cross-functional alignment between marketing, IT, and product teams.

• Consistent, Context-Aware Messaging: Content must be tailored not just to the platform, but to the user's stage in the buying journey. AI-powered tools can help deliver the right message at the right time, but strategic input is required to ensure brand consistency and relevance.

In today’s world, companies are willing to invest in improving how their marketing is delivered to customers, especially with many customers now making buying decisions through digital nudges and outreach. For consultants, the opportunity lies in helping clients bridge technology and strategy. This includes selecting the right Martech stack, integrating APIs, ensuring data governance, and training teams to think omnichannel-first. By grounding efforts in these foundational elements, consultants can drive long-term value and meaningful customer engagement in a complex digital landscape.

One of the most common responsibilities of tech consultants is building and maintaining dashboards. Dashboards are crucial for product performance because they turn raw data into actionable insight—allowing teams to make fast, informed decisions that drive growth, usability, and efficiency.

Here are why executives and teams need dashboards:

Real-Time Visibility into Key Metrics

Dashboards provide immediate awareness of what’s happening with your product:

• Monitor user engagement, conversion rates, retention, and churn in real-time.

• Spot performance issues (e.g., load time, error rates) before they impact users.

• Track the success of new features or experiments (A/B tests).

Identify Trends & Opportunities

Dashboards surface trends and anomalies that lead to new product ideas or improvements:

• Usage patterns by time, geography, or device.

• Which features are sticky or ignored.

• Drop-offs in onboarding or checkout flows.

Support Stakeholder Communication

Well-designed dashboards communicate value clearly to executives, investors, and cross-functional teams:

• Show progress against OKRs or roadmap milestones.

• Justify resourcing or product investments.

• Tell a story with data in a digestible format.

There are many different platforms for building dashboards, and these platforms will depend on your team and use case:

Read more

Last weekend, I got married! It was a surreal experience, and while the day went by quickly, the memories I had with my family and friends will last a lifetime! I realized early on while in college that because I was driven and wanted to have a career, I needed to be with someone who could support my ambition and not be easily threatened by my desire for more. Whether it’s a significant other or friendships, these are some tips for surrounding yourself with the right people in your life to uplift you.

You are a compilation of the 5 people closest to you

This is a common piece of advice you might hear. The 5 people you talk to the most or spend the most time with embody who you are. If you are surrounding yourself with negative people or people who put you down or people who don’t respect you, then you are going to be trapped in this negativity and insecurity. The same can be said of your friends and loved ones. Observe who are the people they spend the most time with to better assess their character.

Divide and conquer planning and execution

The best way to know if a person is reliable and responsible is how well they can work with you to complete tasks. Whether it is planning a vacation or a date, it is important to create a practice of dividing and the conquering the work together. Although it is normal for one person to want to take the lead sometimes (for example, I wanted to be more involved in my wedding planning so I took the lead on this), when a person expects you to do all of the planning and execution, it demonstrates that this person does not respect your time and is establishing the dynamic that you will do most of this work. Women are often victims of emotional labor, and invisible work like planning, delegating, and deciding often fall on them. Be comfortable with speaking up and making sure that you and your partner can work on anything together, whether it be finances, house chores, travel, or family care.

Choose someone loving, not perfect

In our world of dating, it can be hard to find someone who meets all of your criteria. The reality is that you will never find someone who meets 100% of what you are looking for because we are all human and no one is perfect. Determine the top 3 qualities of a partner that are most important to you and choose someone who loves and adores you (trust me, you will FEEL it). When you meet the right person, you will just know. It’s not about acquiring a partner who fits your dating qualifications; it’s about finding the person who makes you feel happy and loved.

Don’t be afraid to say no

This is a piece of advice I always give to women because we are socially conditioned to say yes and make everyone around us feel comfortable. If you ever feel like something is off, the relationship no longer makes you happy, the dynamic is different, or the first date is just plain weird, you have the right to walk away. Don’t prioritize someone else’s feelings over your own because this is your journey and you have to do what works best with you. This is why I would recommend you date a person for at least a year before you start making long term plans. You will get a sense of their character, how they react to different situations, what their expectations are of you, and how they will treat you over time. It is much easier to walk away before you tie the knot, so make sure you get to know the person well, ladies!

Attending a professional conference can be a game-changer for your career—if you approach it strategically. With the right preparation and mindset, you can turn a few days of panels and networking into lasting relationships and valuable insights.

This past week, I attended the Reuters Digital Health Conference! It was a wonderful time of learning and the opportunity for me to connect with people in the industry. I summarize some tips on how to maximize your time at conferences like these to help accelerate your career.

Before the Conference

• Research the agenda and identify key sessions and speakers relevant to your interests or goals

• Don’t try to do everything—choose a few events where you can go deep and engage meaningfully

• Reach out to attendees or speakers via LinkedIn ahead of time to introduce yourself and express interest in connecting at the event

• Setting up informal coffee chats or quick meetups in advance can make the conference feel less overwhelming and more productive

During the Conference

• Stay engaged and connect with people you sit around or the speakers after their talks

• Be prepared with a short personal pitch that includes who you are, what you do, and what you're looking to learn or contribute. Don’t be shy—everyone is there to meet people

• Prioritize quality over quantity in your networking: a few meaningful conversations will go further than adding a bunch of people you barely know on LinkedIn

After the Conference

• Follow up within a few days. Send personalized messages to people you met, reference your conversation, and suggest ways to stay in touch

• Reflect on what you learned and how you can apply it to your work or share it with your team

Professional conferences are more than just lectures—they’re opportunities to build your reputation, grow your network, and accelerate your development. Go in with intention, engage actively, and follow through. You’ll stand out—and get more out of the experience.

Generative AI was all the craze last year and continues to dominate conversations on technology and the future. This article will break down what Generative AI is and help you better understand it in the context of the current cultural landscape.

Generative AI refers to a class of artificial intelligence systems designed to create new content—such as text, images, audio, video, or code—based on patterns learned from existing data. Unlike traditional AI models that primarily analyze or classify, generative AI models are creators. They generate human-like outputs, making them powerful tools in industries ranging from software development to design, marketing, and education.

What are some examples of generative AI?

The most popular example is ChatGPT, which generates conversational text; DALL·E, which creates images from textual descriptions; and GitHub Copilot, which helps developers write code. These tools are transforming how we work—streamlining workflows, sparking creativity, and expanding access to complex capabilities once limited to specialists.

How do you build generative AI models?

Similarly to building a chatbot (which you can read more about in my article here), AI generative models follow this same process but go a step further by focusing on multiple types of output beyond text.

At its core, building a generative AI system involves several steps:

1. Data Collection: Start with a large, diverse dataset relevant to the content you want your model to generate—be it natural language, images, or code.

2. Model Selection: Choose a foundational architecture such as a transformer (used in models like GPT or BERT). Open-source frameworks like Hugging Face Transformers or OpenAI's APIs are popular starting points.

3. Training & Fine-tuning: Train your model on the collected data. This process involves adjusting millions (or billions) of parameters to help the model learn patterns. Fine-tuning can tailor a model to specific industries or use cases, such as tech consulting or healthcare.

4. Deployment: Once trained, your model can be integrated into applications via APIs, user interfaces, or platforms—making it accessible to real users.

For women in tech, especially in consulting roles, understanding generative AI can be a career accelerator, opening doors to innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

📚 Here are some articles you can keep reading to learn more about generative AI applications:

• 9 useful resources for getting more out of generative AI

• 10 ways female professionals can benefit from generative AI

Getting promoted isn’t just about working hard—it’s about working smart. In this post, I share key strategies top performers use to stand out, earn recognition, and move up the ladder. Whether you're aiming for your first promotion or your next big leap, these secrets can give you the edge!

Increase Your Visibility

Visibility in the workplace is essential for promotion because it ensures your contributions are recognized by decision-makers. When you're seen taking initiative, collaborating effectively, and delivering results, you build credibility and trust. Being visible keeps you top of mind for new opportunities and proves you're ready for greater responsibility.

For tangible advice on how to increase visibility in your workplace, check out my previous article, Getting Your Work Recognized.

Strengthen Your Relationship With Your Manager

Your manager is your gatekeeper to your growth. 🤯 In other words, the person you have to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and potential to is your manager. If you haven’t already, make sure you meet with your manager weekly to demonstrate your progress, document everything you do so you can reference back to it during promotions discussions, and prioritize your conversations with your manager over other work items. The reality is that people aren’t promoted based off of how competent they are; they are promoted based off of how well liked they are. If your manager is super busy, send them a weekly email documenting the following:

• What I accomplished this past week

• What my priorities are this week

• Challenges I encountered and my solutions

Speed > Perfection

This is going to be controversial for some, but there is an opportunity cost associated with perfection. If you spend more time perfecting a deliverable instead of sending it earlier for team review, it doesn’t make you look good. People will grow impatient and ask someone else to get the task done. Instead of aiming for perfection, aim for “good enough” — the sooner you are able to get things sent to your manager or your team, the more likely you are seen as effective and productive. Focus on the big picture and less on the little details that will do little for you in your career growth.

Be A Problem Solver

When there are challenges that arise, rather than just report on these challenges, present solutions to the problems you see. When you’re seen as a problem solver, you’re seen as a leader — a critical quality for getting promoted.

I recently found out about Microsoft Access through one of my organizational leaders, so I wanted to share some findings and applications of it to you all!

Microsoft Access is a desktop database management system that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software development tools. It allows users to efficiently store, retrieve, manage, and analyze data. With Access, users can create custom databases that include tables, queries, forms, and reports—enabling streamlined data handling and workflow automation without requiring deep programming knowledge.

What can I do with Microsoft Access?

For female tech consultants, Microsoft Access offers a flexible and accessible platform for solving real-world business problems. Whether working independently or within consulting firms, tech consultants often deal with clients who need tailored data solutions. Access provides a low-code environment for creating custom applications that track inventory, manage customer relationships, or generate insightful reports. Its integration with other Microsoft Office products like Excel and Outlook also enhances its utility in a consultant's toolkit.

Women in tech consulting can leverage Access to deliver high-impact solutions for small to mid-sized businesses, especially in scenarios where clients don’t have the budget for large-scale enterprise systems. For example, consultants can rapidly prototype and deploy applications that improve operational efficiency without long development cycles. The ability to automate tasks with macros and use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) allows for further customization and sophistication.

Mastering Microsoft Access empowers female consultants to take ownership of data projects, demonstrate technical versatility, and offer practical solutions that drive business value. As the tech industry strives for more inclusivity, tools like Access level the playing field by enabling more women to enter and excel in technical consulting roles with tangible, user-friendly tools.

Microsoft Access isn’t just a database tool—it’s a gateway for female tech consultants to innovate, lead, and make data-driven decisions that matter.

In the corporate world, getting recognized for your contributions can be a challenge—especially for women. Despite progress in gender equality, unconscious biases and outdated perceptions still linger. Women often find their achievements overlooked or credited to others, making it crucial to advocate for oneself with confidence and clarity.

3 Ways to Get Recognized

✏️ Document

To start, document your successes. Keep a record of key accomplishments, metrics, and feedback. This not only prepares you for performance reviews but also builds confidence in your value. When you see everything you’ve been able to accomplish on paper, you can leverage this expertise to speak up in meetings and volunteer for high-impact projects.

🤝 Build and Maintain Relationships

Networking is equally important. Build relationships with mentors, allies, and sponsors who can advocate for you when you're not in the room. Visibility is power—so share your wins, both within your team and across the organization.

🙌 Uplift Women

Lastly, support other women. Celebrate their successes, share opportunities, and create a culture where recognition is mutual. Empowering each other chips away at the systemic barriers and opens doors for collective growth.

Getting your work recognized isn’t about boasting—it’s about owning your impact. When we confidently claim our space, we don’t just advance our careers— we reshape the workplace for the better.

What is Claude?

Anthropic's Claude is a family of advanced AI models developed by Anthropic, an AI safety and research company. Claude models are designed to be helpful, reliable, and interpretable, and they focus on maintaining a high level of safety and alignment with human intentions.

Claude is a competitor to OpenAI’s GPT models and other large language models. The Claude series is known for its ability to perform a wide range of tasks, such as natural language understanding, text generation, and problem-solving. Claude models are named after Claude Shannon, a key figure in the development of information theory.

As of now, the Claude models are typically used for various applications, including chatbots, content creation, and enterprise solutions. They aim to strike a balance between capabilities and safety, with an emphasis on reducing harmful outputs and ensuring ethical AI behavior.

There are different versions of Claude, with thew newest iteration Claude 3.5.

Claude 3.5

Claude 3.5 introduces several new features and is a completely new model. Anthropic offers different models like Claude Haiku for low-memory devices, Claude Opus as the most capable but slower model, and Claude Sonnet, which has been upgraded to version 3.5 and is now more powerful than Claude Opus. The quality of large language models is subjective, and Claude Sonnet 3.5 performs exceptionally well in coding, even surpassing ChatGPT-4o in some areas. New features include Claude Artifacts for data visualization and coding tasks, and a Claude Pro plan for $20 a month, offering more usage and access to advanced features. Additionally, Claude 3.5 has improved vision capabilities, enhancing its ability to understand image context.

Claude Artifacts

Claude Artifacts offers a groundbreaking way to create interactive tools, setting a new standard for human interaction with prompts. It can build games and other tools using simple prompts, such as creating a flashcard game to learn git concepts with JavaScript and React. While the results can vary, sometimes producing great outcomes and other times failing, the ability to generate usable tools with prompts is impressive. Users can interact with the code and preview, make modifications, and even publish their creations for others to use. Despite occasional imperfections, Claude Artifacts demonstrates significant potential for creating useful tools with proper prompting and patience.

Utilizing Claude Artifacts for Data Analysis

Claude is a powerful tool for parsing, extracting, and visualizing data. You can upload files like PDFs and have Claude analyze the content, create data files, and generate visualizations using tools like artifacts. For example, you can prompt Claude to extract data from a product catalog into a CSV file, which can then be downloaded and refined. Claude can also generate tags based on names and descriptions for further data analysis and create visualizations using libraries like D3. Despite occasional issues, Claude's ability to code with simple prompts is impressive and useful for generating interactive tools and visualizations.

What AI prompts can you use to reduce the amount of time spent on administrative activities as a consultant? Here are some prompts you can use to save some time!

Meeting Summaries: "Summarize the key points and action items from today's project meeting."

Risk Management: "Identify potential risks in our current project plan and suggest mitigation strategies."

Resource Allocation: "How can I optimize resource allocation for the upcoming sprint?"

Progress Tracking: "Provide a status update on all ongoing tasks and highlight any delays."

Team Collaboration: "Suggest ways to improve communication and collaboration within the project team."

Deadline Management: "What steps can I take to ensure we meet our project deadlines?"

Stakeholder Communication: "Draft an update email for stakeholders on the current project status."

Performance Metrics: "Generate a report on key performance metrics for the project."

Time Management: "What are some effective time management techniques I can use to stay on track?"

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Negotiating for a raise or promotion is one of the important career skills to have, yet many women avoid it out of fear of rejection, awkwardness, or not knowing how to approach the conversation. Here’s the thing — companies don’t just hand out raises; you have to advocate for yourself in order to even be considered for one. If you’ve been consistently delivering results and taking on more responsibility, you deserve to be compensated.

One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to draft performance goals this year that showcase your skillset, breadth of knowledge, leadership ability, and responsibility. We are at that time of the year where corporate employees are tasked with writing their yearly performance goals and reviewing them with their managers. This is a great opportunity to advocate for your growth and career trajectory.

❌ By end of the year, instead of this:

I’ve been working really hard this year, so I would like to discuss a raise

✅ Using the results from your performance goals, you can say this:

This past year, I led a project that reduced operational costs by 15%, implemented new strategies that improved user engagement by 30%, and took on leadership responsibilities such as advising executives on future roadmaps. Given my contributions and my desire for more responsibility, I want to discuss a promotion plan for me.

Tips for Writing Yearly Goals

🎯 Align with Company/Team Objectives

• Ensure your goals are aligned with your company's broader mission and goals. If you’re not sure what that is, find out!

• Ask yourself: How can I contribute to the company's long-term success?

✨ Showcase Leadership Potential

• Even if you're not in a formal leadership role, show you’re ready for more responsibility by volunteering to take on more tasks or lead new initiatives

• Ask yourself: What are company leaders doing that I am not doing in my current role? What are things I can take on to demonstrate my leadership abilities?

🧪 Be Specific and Measurable

• Your goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Using quantitive data to showcase your impact is critical.

• Ask yourself: What are some ways I can demonstrate my value through tangible results?

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Data science and AI are two of the most talked about terms in our modern era, but how are these concepts actually used at the enterprise level? There are two main use cases of data science and AI that I will be breaking down in this article. I will also share tips on how you can strengthen your skillsets in both.

Use Case #1: Data Reporting & Analytics

Every business needs to monitor and evaluate data on workflows, processes, products, marketing campaigns, websites, and people. A team will typically use data analysis, machine learning, or statistics to extract insights on data used for reporting purposes in order to drive the direction of strategies and new decisions.

The deliverable of this type of use case is typically a data report, a presentation of an analysis, a written recommendation, or an interactive dashboard presenting insights.

The main audience of this use case is typically internal to the company; think senior leaders, a team of marketers, a group of product managers, website developers, etc.

Ways to strengthen your data analytics and reporting skills

🔎 Learn Key Analytic Tools and Practice with Real World Data

• Data Extraction and Cleaning: Excel/Google Sheets

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or Google Data Studio

• Marketing/Website Analytics: Adobe Analytics, Adobe Experience Platform, Google Analytics

• Depending on how deep you want to go: SQL, Python, R,

✨ Enhance Reporting and Storytelling Skills

• Storytelling with Data: Data analysis isn’t just about numbers—learn to tell a compelling story. Practice turning complex data insights into a clear and simple narrative that your audience can understand.

• Effective Reporting: Learn how to create concise, actionable reports that focus on key insights rather than overwhelming your audience with data. Understand how to visualize data effectively and tailor the level of detail to the audience.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your findings in a way that engages and informs. Use visual aids, graphs, and infographics to make your points clearer.

🌎 Gain Experience with Real World Data

• Look for opportunities at work to pick up projects or side projects using real data to apply your skills.

• Internships, freelance projects, or collaborations with data-driven teams can give you hands-on experience with real-world data.

Use Case #2: AI Driven Decision Making

On the other hand, we have AI driven decision making, which is an area we are seeing rapid expansion in among companies. This involves using digital tools, typically software, automation, large data sets, or a combination of these, to generate recommendations based off of historical data trends.

The deliverable of this type of use case is typically a product that is developing recommendations for users. Some common products like this include Youtube’s recommended videos that are based off of user video history and Google Flights lowest prices based on past prices of flight tickets.

The main audience of this use case is a customer that a company wants to sell their digital product to; think large businesses like Microsoft and Apple, smaller companies like Scale AI and Abridge, and individual consumers like you and me.

Ways to Strengthen Your AI Product Skills

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