WOMEN IN TECH BLOG SERIES

MARY'S DECLASSIFIED: INDUSTRY SURVIVAL GUIDE

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Written By: Mary Dawson, Government Marketing Manager, Vertosoft

Mary Dawson currently serves as the Government Marketing Manager at Vertosoft, where she excels in managing marketing initiatives and fostering relationships with key stakeholders. Her role involves coordinating various events and ensuring that marketing strategies align with the company’s goals as well as suppliers.

When people ask me what it takes to “survive” in tech, I usually laugh to myself at the word “survive”. Yes, this industry can be demanding. It moves fast and expects you to adapt constantly. As a woman in tech, there are moments where you may feel like you’re navigating a landscape that wasn’t originally built with you in mind. 

But survival isn’t just about showing up to the office. It’s about growth, confidence, learning how to lead, how to advocate, and how to bring your full value to the table. Without changing to fit someone else’s mold. 

This year for Vertosoft’s Women in Tech Series I have built what I jokingly call my Industry Survival Guide. These are values that have helped me grow professionally, build meaningful relationships and most importantly not just survive but succeed especially here at Vertosoft. 

  1. Own Your Voice 

One of the biggest traps we fall into in tech is waiting until we feel 100% certain before speaking up, in the room. Your perspective is valuable because it’s yours and you wouldn’t be in the room if it didn’t matter. 

  1. Build Relationships, Not Just a LinkedIn Connection

Networking is often framed as collecting business cards or new LinkedIn connections. But real connections come from relationships with people who know your strengths, people who you can rely on and are willing to advocate for you when you’re not in the room. 

  1. Master Your Organization, Not Just the Role 

In this industry it’s easy to get focused on due dates. But the people who grow in their careers understand the bigger picture for their organization and its core goals. 

  1. Create Boundaries  

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It builds slowly when we overextend, overcommit, and over-accommodate. Your survival guide must include boundaries; generate calendar blocks for focused work time, always clarify expectations, and most importantly take your PTO. 

  1. Advocate for Yourself, No One Knows You Better 

Have those awkward conversations with your leadership. Be clear about your career goals and the skills you want to build and ask for feedback.  

  1. Lift As You Climb

Mentor and support someone, success is more meaningful when it’s shared. 

  1. Always Adapt  

If there’s one constant in tech, it’s always changing. New platforms. New policies. New priorities. New technologies. So, invest in learning and always be willing to pivot when need be. 

To every woman navigating her path in tech: you don’t have to fit a mold to belong. You are here because of your insight, and your leadership potential. And the industry is better because you’re in it. 

Throughout the month, Vertosoft will be spotlighting women across the industry and sharing their stories, insights, and experiences. I hope you will follow along and learn something new, gain a fresh perspective, or build a connection you didn’t have before.