Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021 at Agilytic: #ChooseToChallenge
This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge, where leadership and achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world is at the theme’s center. While today is a day to reflect on what has been accomplished, it is also a day to recognize what there is still to work on.
Women face many roadblocks to careers in data science and other STEM disciplines. As a society, we must continue to make strides toward better empowering women and representing women’s rights. As businesses, we must amplify and reinforce our commitment to building a purpose-driven, inclusive, fair world.
We asked Elise Le Khac, Farah Martens, Odara Thongsamouth, Pauline Janta-Polczynski, and Valérie Coddens of Agilytic to share their thoughts on their careers, work, and achievements in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Elise Le Khac, Senior Data Scientist
Why did you choose to become a data scientist?
I like to do technical things, more particularly when it contributes to something concrete. That was a feeling that increased during my engineering studies where all the things I learned were too theoretical. Data scientist was a good bridge between techniques and business applications.
What's keeping women out of data science?
It already begins when choosing what to study. Most data scientists have a technical or business background, and they chose their studies for another career path.
For these studies (especially technical studies such as engineering), the proportion of women is already low and data science is still a career path that is not much promoted.
What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career in data science?
Don’t stop at a first perception of data science being too abstract and technical. Communication and business relations are as important as the analytics behind the data. If you like doing technical things and communicate what you do to bring impact to a business, data science is a career you should definitely consider.
Farah Martens, Data Scientist
Why did you choose to become a data scientist?
I developed a taste for data analysis and visualization during my Ph.D. The field of Data Science in particular spoke to me because it is an exciting, rapidly changing, and very relevant domain with many applications. Although it was a big step going from academia to a job as a Data Science consultant, I took a chance and it paid off.
What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career in data science?
I would say: just go for it. Be confident in your skills and your ability to learn and take a chance. Being a data scientist is a very interesting job in which you can have a measurable impact. Definitely do not be put off by the impression that data science is a male-oriented world, your gender does not matter whatsoever.
What are some of the biggest challenges that women who want to venture into the world of data analytics/data science face today?
Data science can be a demanding field with a steep learning curve. It can be quite time-consuming to get into data science and I have the impression that it is often still more of a challenge for women to combine such a job with their personal lives. That being said, the fact that I am female does not play a role in my daily work, it does not even come to mind. At most, I occasionally notice during meetings that I’m the only woman at the table.
Odara Thongsamouth, Data Program Manager
Why did you choose to become a scientist?
When I was young I was a big fan of MacGyver. As I wanted to understand all that he was doing I decided to study physics. Challenges drive me -if it is not difficult, it is not interesting!- and I wanted to do extraordinary things. That's why I went to work for the army. What I was doing at that time was not called data science yet. My job was to find insights from very dirty and messy signals, which is very similar to what a data scientist has to do now but for business applications.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
Rules are made to be followed only if they are logical for you.
Invest your energy in catching all the opportunities instead of complaining.
Choosing your own path will always be difficult and full of doubts but don't be afraid of it.
And finally, make your talent so obvious that you never have to say you are talented.
As I am a nerd, let me say the same in a nerdy way. This is the Yoda-speak I follow:
Unmade by human, rules made by human can be.
Complain do not, just act.
Exciting, the unknown is.
If talented you are, see it, everybody will.
💡Odara has a blog on gender diversity in the workplace covering how a lack of diversity is like working with biased data in machine learning.
Pauline Janta-Polczynski, Head of Operations
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
My main message to women about their careers is to take care of themselves along the way. Women are so good at forgetting themselves. We need to be kind to ourselves. We are superheroes in terms of courage, but days are only 24 hours long... We must pick up our battles, learn to say NO, have people respect our boundaries. As leaders lead by example, we first need to respect our own boundaries. At the end of the day, being perfect is not the point, but keeping energy and love to take care of the ones we love is what matters most.
What’s your take on equal opportunities for men and women in professional life?
I think that as women, we should work on our inner speech and be proud of who we are because we are worth it. We should stop comparing and try to act or be like men. Every human being has things to offer to the collective. Women's intelligence, intuitions, and bravery are priceless for collective intelligence at work.
I feel very grateful to all these women who did the first step to free us; they've been very brave. Today, there are still inequalities, but we should not let them happen.
Why is it important for Agilytic to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Being a data scientist/architect/engineer is a genderless job, accessible for women and mothers too. Agilytic's culture is about openness and collaboration. We almost reached gender parity. Here, we value talent and talent is genderless.
Valérie Coddens, HR Facilitator
How has being a woman impacted my career?
I only realized that being a woman clearly influenced my career choices when my “biological clock” started working. My priorities then were: Work close to home, benefit from social security services, remain employed, all while I dreamed of being independent.
And finally, I had my child when I had just quit my job to start my freelance activity, thanks life!
I thought about everything and created my business while being pregnant and I did indeed launch my business when my baby was four months old.
It's in those moments that you feel like a superwoman: going to see your clients when you're not sleeping all night, hurry to meetings to be on time at the childcare, cook organic food on weekends by breastfeeding my child. But I’m proud to be where I am now!
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
I would say to trust yourself - impostor syndrome is too prevalent in women (much more than in men, according to studies). Take constructive feedback, try to become a better version of yourself every day but more importantly, value yourself!
And you can't control everything. Fight, persevere, but also learn to let go from time to time and let things happen.
Finally, being a mom doesn't mean putting your career on hold, it's a new side of you and your life that you're discovering. Flexibility is key but you are still you.
Thanks for celebrating with us, applauding the work and achievements of women, and choosing to challenge!
For further reading and education, please see the following resources showcasing International Women’s Day, gender equality, and women’s achievements:
