8. Navigating a Lasting Career: The Adventures of Women in Tech

Alexis and Alana Karen, an award-winning author who spent over 23 years at Google, explore the question of how to navigate a long and enduring career as a woman in tech. In this raw and honest conversation, they discuss the realities women face in the tech industry and the tools needed to not just survive, but thrive.

What does it take to build a lasting career in tech when you're one of only a few women in the room? Behind the glossy media articles questioning whether women can "make it" in tech lies a more nuanced reality, one where resilience, community, and strategic self-advocacy are the keys to navigating a lasting career in tech.

After interviewing 80 women across the industry, Alana distilled their collective wisdom into five essential tools. They explore how these skills create staying power in an industry where it can feel like you don't belong.

As tech confronts a new wave of challenges, from layoffs to ethical questions about AI, they examine what's changed since Alana first published her book. Where she originally emphasized belonging, her upcoming fifth-anniversary edition explores agency in an industry where trust has eroded. As for the key to a lasting career? A delicate balance of patience and strategic action, knowing when to endure difficult periods and when to pivot toward growth and change.

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In this episode:

• [1:27] Background on today's guest, Alana Karen
• [2:00] Alexis' career journey: the good, the bad, the ugly
• [12:15] Alana: welcome and introduction
• [17:13] Why Alana wrote "The Adventures of Women in Tech"
• [25:10] Five essential tools for women in tech
• [34:04] The Fifth Anniversary Edition: a sneak peek!
• [43:42] Power moves: career pivots and growth
• [59:50] Advice for long-term career success

Find Alana:

• Website: alanakaren.com  
• LinkedIn
• Sign up for her Newsletter

References:

• Alana’s book: The Adventures of Women in Tech
• Alana’s workbook: The Adventures of Women in Tech Workbook
• Previous episode: Navigating Burnout
• Jonathan Haidt: The Anxious Generation
• Alana's Interview with Sheryl Sandberg

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