Book review: Anat Rapoport’s Woman Up! Your Guide to Success in Engineering and Tech

Across the globe, engineering and tech are still governed by men. As a result, many women (and other minorities) experience both internal and external obstacles that keep them from advancing as quickly or as high as they would like and are capable of. If you want to “woman up” and climb the high-tech ladder, especially if you want to do it quickly, you need to take chances. You need to work on those inner challenges that are holding you back, whether it’s lack of confidence or the imposter syndrome. You need to be brave

 Anat Rapoport has been there. She knows the loneliness that comes with being the only woman in the room. She believes that despite the discrimination that exists in the workplace, armed with the right tools, women can show up as their best selves, advance their careers, take steps to make the best of the world as it is, and equally important, work to make the future more equitable. 

In Woman Up!, she shares her experience climbing the corporate and startup ladders, and helping other women do the same. She takes on all the common obstacles and explains how to beat them. In fact, her strategies are applicable to situations common to many fields, not just high-tech and engineering.

 Rapoport addresses steps for overcoming discrimination, loneliness, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and low self-confidence; the keys to success, including finding the right job, building relationships with peers and managers, and developing skills so that you stand out; salary negotiation, building a support network, and how to stand strong in a toxic environment; climbing the ladder to becoming team leader, manager, and top dog; when to fight back and when to leave; stepping into the startup world, and more.

 We tend to think about roles as a strict list of qualifications and responsibilities we must fit ourselves into, but as Rapaport explains, another way to look at it is to shape our role by doing more of the things we excel at, are moved to do, set us apart, and allow us to drive the most impact. In other words, to shape our career trajectory by the unique combination of qualities we possess, rather than the other way around.

 Rapoport shares a lot of her own story. She relates how her path of advancement was only possible because she was willing to reframe her mindset. She used her failure to gain a managerial position she felt she deserved as an opportunity to go into coaching, learn key managerial skills, and increase her self-confidence. She put those years of removing herself from leadership behind her, and moved forward using the skills she gained. After observing how men around her were advancing, she started taking more chances, and her fear of failure and not being up for the task disappeared.

 Prior to writing Woman Up!, Rapaport worked as VP of R&D on demand, serving as a temporary leader while companies who recently lost their VP searched for someone to take the position. She also found opportunities giving lectures to women in tech, especially women in R&D, about her career, my mistakes, and lessons learned; mentoring women in tech; consulting CEOs and CTOs regarding various R&D issues; and consulting with an angel investor about his investments, which gave her an eye-opening look at how startups pitch their ideas and how investors decide which ones are worth investing in. All useful information she shares with her readers.

 Rapoport’s goal is to change the outlook and provide the tools women need so they will no longer be isolated in a male-dominated industry and less alone at the top. Her advice includes such strategies as finding a community of women who understand what you’re going through. If possible, connect with other women inside your company; meet for coffee or have more formal discussions about the problems you’re facing with being a working mom, discrimination, missed promotions, and more. Build each other up, encourage each other, and stand up for each other in meetings and everyday conversations whenever you have a chance.

 She also provides information on external tech communities –  Baot (baot.org, Israel’s largest community of women software engineers, doctors, scientists, and researchers), Women Who Code (www.womenwhocode.com/), Elpha (elpha.com/) Tech Ladies (www.hiretechladies.com/) – among others, to help women connect with a much larger group of women. These communities have opportunities for training and can help women in every stage of their career.

 As Rapoport says, “one of my life’s missions is to have more women at the top supporting each other.” She does a great job in Woman Up! to help make that a reality. 

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