Women in Tech: Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories from Successful Women in Tech to Take Your Career to the Next Level by Tarah Wheeler

As technology advances, the need for successful women in tech has never been more essential—and Tarah Wheeler’s book Women in Tech: Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories from Successful Women in Tech to Take Your Career to the Next Level provides a powerful resource for achieving those goals. Wheeler, a veteran and a software engineering manager, provides readers with guidance, advice and support to overcoming difficulties along the pathway to success in tech.

Through her book, Wheeler encourages fellow female software engineers and those considering a career in tech to take the leap and gain an in-depth look into a career in technology. She delves into her own experiences and those of her colleagues, outlining both the practical advice necessary for success in the tech world, as well as inspiring successes of female tech pioneers.

Wheeler offers up creative techniques and inspiring stories to keep female engineers motivated—highlighting entrepreneurial journeys of prominent women in tech and providing valuable takeaways. For example, Anne Wojcicki, the founder of 23andMe, shares her top three pieces of advice to women entrepreneurs: take risks, leverage financial resources, and find a great team. Through her storytelling, Wheeler effectively paints a portrait of the women who, with their persistence and innovative approaches, have overcame the gender gap in tech.

In addition to storytelling, Wheeler also focuses much of her book on the practical side of attaining success as a female tech entrepreneur. She outlines her “Model-Action-Learning” (MAL) framework, which details the three-part process necessary for reaching success.

The “Model” part of the framework rests on understanding the career and the role required for success—by asking not only who you want to be, but also identifying those skills and competencies necessary for success. The “Action” part provides actionable strategies to develop that model. It involves understanding areas in need of improvement and creating tangible steps to take in order to optimize performance. The “Learning” part also involves learning from experiences, evaluating progress and reworking strategies as needed.

Though Wheeler acknowledges the gender divide in tech, she has also incorporated female tech success stories and solidified them as overriding role models. Through inspiring stories and practical advice, Wheeler’s book offers an effective and comprehensive guide for achieving success in tech as a woman. For those interested in taking their career to the next level, Women in Tech: Practical Advice and Inspiring Stories to Take Your Career to the Next Level provides an invaluable resource.