For Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) India head Jaya Jagadish, a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) felt like the most obvious choice. But as a woman, there are always glass ceilings to break and biases to overcome. “As a young engineering student in the 90s, I remember being told by one of my professors that ‘I am wasting a man’s seat in the tech industry’ as I will soon give up my career. I fought that prejudice tooth, and nail. Throughout my career, I have also strived to encourage other women to fight any type casting or biases that deter them from pursuing their dreams,” Jagadish told us.
Let’s rewind a little bit! A graduate of BMS College in Bengaluru, Jagadish moved to the US to pursue higher education. “Engineering was a natural career choice, mainly because of my love for math and science. Back in the days, engineering and medicine were the mainstream career choices. I took the former as I always associated engineering with problem solving and innovation. I was fascinated with the creativity that engineering offered,” Jaya Jagadish told Indiatimes.
Currently, Jagadish is the Corporate Vice President of Silicon Design Engineering at AMD India. As part of her job, she leads engineers across AMD’s Bengaluru and Hyderabad sites. In addition, she heads the India leadership team. “Very few women take up a career in hardware engineering, but I was passionate about building and designing products. I knew from the start that this was my calling.”
Being a woman in STEM
Being a woman in STEM isn’t straightforward. In India, women graduates who specialise in STEM stood at 42.72% in 2016. “There is still much apprehension in a woman’s ability to lead, take risks and deliver. A woman leader needs to find acceptance and build a relationship with her peers, colleagues and stakeholders at the same time show her merit to lead and deliver results,” AMD’s India head Jaya Jagadish said.
Jagadish explained how it is less common to have women in leadership positions “especially in a male-dominated industry such as semiconductor, it is not always easy to be accepted as a leader.” She added how women are often required to “doubly prove” their worth in order to command respect from peers.
Under Jagadish, what is AMD doing to support women? Jagadish explained how AMD guides women to “switch between the technical ladder and managerial ladder” while offering a mentorship programme for “high-potential women employees.” In addition, AMD offers women on maternity leave the option to extend their break to easily manage their care-giving responsibilities at home.
“I know for a fact that there is no person better than an empowered woman to empower and support another woman,” Jagadish told us while highlighting the role played by her mentor, AMD’s current CEO, Dr. Lisa Su.
A message for women entrepreneurs
To aspiring women entrepreneurs, Jagadish has the following message – “My advice to women is that they should lead the way by standing firm on what is right, questioning the status quo and not shy away from making bold decisions. Challenges are the biggest opportunities that will help you learn and grow. Never let go of an opportunity for the fear of failure.”
In addition, Jagadish urges women “to embrace their femininity as a core strength… We tend to be more caring and that helps us bring in the much-required sensitivity to understand, comprehend and resolve people related issues at work.” In fact, Jagadish told us that her personal mantra is that she doesn’t want “[women] to look at ourselves as ‘woman entrepreneurs’ but entrepreneurs!”
Article Credits: India Times