Head of Electrical Engineering Discusses Building A Roadmap for Career Advancement
Sara Glick is Head of Electrical Engineering at Humane. She has over ten years of experience designing electrical systems as small as battery-powered wearables to large self-driving trucks. Before Humane, Sara co-founded a product design consultancy to help hardware companies develop and bring their products to market. While there, she worked on various projects, including wearables, appliances, medical devices, educational toys, and virtual reality accessories. Previously, Sara led the design of the Fitbit Blaze smartwatch and drive-by-wire system for Uber’s self-driving trucks. ModelExpand sat down with Sara to discuss her insights on creating a roadmap for career advancement while advocating for yourself.
Career & Tech
You have had an incredible career impacting the technology we use today. What do you look for in the places you work?
I find myself attracted to teams that strive to do great work and share my values. I like to surround myself with people who care about other points of view, foster a supportive office environment, and appreciate everything from work-life balance to good communication and emotional intelligence. I like a challenging environment, technically speaking, where you are also comfortable being your entire self at work.
“That’s when I decided to get proactive and let my managers know exactly what I wanted to work on and it worked. Ever since, I have been really vocal whenever I feel like I am ready for the next challenge.”
You have also worked on incredible products. When you’re in a company, how do you decide what projects to take on?
Ideally, I want to work on projects that challenge me in new ways—either from a technical perspective or in a new role. I don't get bored easily, but I never want to do the same thing over and over again. I’m always trying to learn something new or take on a new challenge because that is the only way to grow as a person and as a professional.
Advocating for yourself
As Head of Electrical Engineering at Humane, what is your one piece of advice for those looking to advance into a leadership role?
Build yourself a support network at your company. It's inevitable that you're not going to know how to do certain things and you’ll need help. A support network makes it a lot easier to feel like you can go out on a limb and take a risk. You can ask your manager, “Hey, how would you approach that?” which makes taking on something new and hard a lot less intimidating to try. That support network can also be a great way to transition into leadership. When I was an intern, I asked my manager what he did all day and he ended up telling me all about what it took to do his job. If I didn’t have someone I could trust to ask a question like that, I wouldn’t have had any early exposure to what it was like to have direct reports and lead a team.
“Choose environments where you and your growth is supported. That is the secret sauce of a happy, rewarding career. One of the best ways to find that kind of workplace is to pay attention to the composition of the team.”
Given the growth in your career, is there anything you’ve done consistently with your managers to keep them aware of your career needs, growth and development goals?
The best way to manage up and keep yourself on track is to offer up regular status reports on your work. Early in my career, I did a rotation program at a big company. I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t working on anything challenging, and I started to feel like I was getting lost in the shuffle. That’s when I decided to get proactive and let my managers know exactly what I wanted to work on and it worked. Ever since, I have been really vocal whenever I feel like I am ready for the next challenge. If you have regular one-on-ones, always let your managers know the top things you and your team are working on and what you want to learn from your work. Nobody is a mind reader, so you have to tell the people who you report to, “This is where I think I am, tell me if that's where you see me.”
Building your roadmap for advancement & creating a strong case
Having ten years of experience designing electrical systems, how do you effectively track your accomplishments and present it to show impact?
I really like writing down what I've accomplished. It helps me take pride in what I do. So every couple of years I will put together a document in a resume format that lays out all of my projects and milestones. I don’t necessarily use it to apply for jobs, it’s just how I document how far I’ve gone. It’s a small idea that allows me to showcase my accomplishments in a way that feels natural.
How do you help people on your team create a roadmap for their own career advancement?
I start with a conversation to understand what their short term and long term goals are, and then develop a plan with them on how to achieve those goals. We have frequent check-ins to determine how things are progressing and where they need more support. In my opinion, promotions and advancements within a company are all about measurable, objective achievements that both managers and team members can agree upon. Knowing exactly what you have to do to advance shouldn’t be subjective. People shouldn't have to wonder “Why did that person get promoted?” or “What do I have to do to advance in my role?”
“In my opinion, promotions and advancements within a company are all about measurable, objective achievements that both managers and team members can agree upon.”
When you’re considering promotions for your team, what do you evaluate?
When I'm considering promotions for my team, I consider a few things: the short and long term goals of the team member, performance in the current role, and needs of the organization. First, the promotion has to align with the team member's interests and goals, otherwise they likely won't be successful in the new role. Next, I want to see that they are performing well in their current role and ready to take on new challenges and responsibilities. Last, the promotion should also align with the needs of the organization. If there is talent already in the organization that is ready to step into a new role that needs to be filled, promoting people internally should always be considered.
Resources
Are there any books/podcasts/meetups you recommend for continuing to grow as a technical leader?
I listen to the Brene Brown podcast from time to time. General leadership skills are as important as technical prowess. Good emotional intelligence can make or break a team, and we need more of it in the technical space. I would also say, look for meetup or networking groups. Finding a space for other women in hardware specifically has been really good for me. It makes me feel less isolated to have a community and it’s fantastic networking. You never know what will come out of these groups. I found one of my best jobs by bumping into a CEO at a meetup group once.
Anything else you’d like to share with our ModelExpand readers?
The best thing you can do for yourself is make really informed decisions about where you work before you get there. Choose environments where you and your growth is supported. That is the secret sauce of a happy, rewarding career. One of the best ways to find that kind of workplace is to pay attention to the composition of the team. If you have a connection at the company, get the full story on their culture. Ask questions like, “How do complex things get resolved?” “How do difficult conversations go down?” “How does leadership handle it when things go wrong?” Doing the work and asking these questions upfront pays enormous dividends down the road.
We are excited to have Sara at ModelExpand’s Women in Leadership Breakfast Series: How to Advocate for Yourself at Work on March 11th from 9:00am-10:15am PST. Click below to register for free!
Interested in working at Humane? Click here for Humane open positions.
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