Advice to the Next Generation: What the Women of GENE Wish They’d Known Earlier

So we asked the women across GENE a simple question:

If you could go back and give one piece of advice to your younger self, or to the next generation of women entering tech, what would it be?

Their answers were honest, thoughtful, and in many cases reassuringly simple.

Here is what they said.

1. Perfection Isn’t the Standard

One of the most common pressures early in a technical career is the belief that you need to know everything before you speak up or take ownership.

Alla Nekhaienko, Senior Frontend Developer, offers a perspective many developers eventually learn the hard way:

“Don’t be afraid. Even super smart and confident seniors and team leads make mistakes, and there is no expectation for you to do everything perfectly the first time.”

Technology careers are built on iteration. Code gets refactored, architectures evolve and ideas are tested and improved.

Mistakes aren’t a signal that you don’t belong but a valid and necessary part of the process of becoming great at what you do.

2. You Will Never Feel 100% Ready

Confidence doesn’t arrive fully formed. For most people, it grows after the opportunity, not before it.

Angela Milne, Head of DevOps, puts it plainly:

“Don’t compare yourself to your peers and think you are not good enough to go for new opportunities. You will never feel 100% ready - you just need to go for it.”

Careers in technology are rarely linear. Securing your most valuable roles or greatest personal growth comes from stepping slightly outside your comfort zone.

Waiting until you feel completely ready might just mean waiting forever.

3. Find the Way You Work Best

For years, traditional office environments were treated as the only “proper” way to work, but the reality is that people do their best work in different conditions.

Chloe Mulhearn, Senior Project Manager, learned this through experience:

“My brain has a million open tabs at once and I could never focus on actual work in an office with people. I used to work late every night when there were no distractions. Now that I can work from home all the time, I can get so much more done.”

The lesson isn’t simply about remote work. It’s about recognising how you personally work best and building your environment around that.

When people have the autonomy to work in ways that suit them, they tend to produce their best thinking and outputs.

4. Imposter Syndrome Is More Common Than You Think

Even experienced professionals encounter moments where they feel out of their depth.

Maxine Tremain, Head of Ecommerce, encourages people to reframe those moments:

“There will be times in your career where you find yourself in situations where you feel an overwhelming sense of imposter syndrome. Don’t let this intimidate you. Instead, take those opportunities to absorb information and learn as much as you can from everyone around you.”

Feeling like you’re learning quickly or you’re “out of your depth” often means you’re in exactly the right place.

Growth rarely happens when everything already feels comfortable.

5. Be Your Own Advocate

One of the most important professional skills, especially early in a career, is learning to recognise your own capability.

Priya Jhamat, QA Test Analyst, reflects on the importance of self-belief:

“Believe in yourself and your skills. Be your own cheerleader. Every challenge you learn from will shape you into a wiser and more knowledgeable woman.”

Confidence isn’t about certainty. It’s about trusting that you can figure things out as you go.

6. Your Voice Matters Earlier Than You Think

Many people hold back their opinions early in their careers, assuming they need more experience before speaking up.

Suzie Holland, Solutions Specialist, suggests the opposite:

“Your voice has value. Speak up earlier than you think you can - your opinion matters and is relevant.”

Fresh perspectives are often exactly what teams need. The most effective organisations create space for ideas to come from anywhere, not just from the most senior people in the room.

7. Authenticity Is an Advantage

Perhaps the most universal piece of advice came from Emily Highland, Marketing Manager at GENE:

“Be yourself. Unapologetically, authentically, 100% you. You won’t fit in everywhere - but when you find your niche and your crew, you’ll get the warm fuzzies, and your career will never look back.”

Technology thrives on different perspectives. The strongest teams are rarely made up of people who all think the same way.

Finding the right environment, and the right people, can make all the difference.

8. Confidence Isn’t Something to Apologise For

Confidence in the workplace can still be interpreted differently depending on who is expressing it. Many women in technology have experienced moments where capability is questioned, ideas are overlooked, or confidence is mistaken for something it isn’t.

Marisa Domizio, Senior Project Manager, reflects on what she would tell her younger self:

“After almost two decades as a woman in tech, I’d tell myself: it’s not an easy path, but it is rewarding. Believe in your capabilities even when others underestimate them. Take the space you’ve earned, and remember confidence in a woman isn’t something to apologise for.”

It’s a reminder that confidence isn’t something that needs to be softened or justified. It’s something that grows through experience, persistence, and the willingness to keep showing up.

The Next Generation of Women in Tech

At GENE we spend a lot of time helping companies move forward and evolve - improving their platforms, refining their customer experiences, and supporting their growth. The same idea applies to the careers of everyone who works for us.

Progress rarely happens overnight. It happens step by step, experience by experience, and sometimes the most valuable guidance is simply hearing from people who have already walked the path.

If the advice from the women of GENE could be summarised in one idea, it might be this:

Confidence rarely appears before the opportunity. More often, it grows because someone decided to take the opportunity anyway.

Join the conversation

If this topic resonates with you, the Women in eComm Live networking session is bringing together women from across the eCommerce sector to share experiences, perspectives and practical insights.