Juliana Gomez shares that although women are outnumbered in the field of technology, they tend to have one particular innate skill that companies are searching for:

“Customer empathy,” she says, “It is a skill that is needed in the IT industry. Most women have the ability to empathize with customers. That gives us a great advantage today, in the future – and beyond.”

Since joining Microsoft in 2006, Juliana has held a number of roles in Microsoft IT. Today she leads the Extended Quality and Business Excellence organization in Europe.

In addition to leveraging this advantage, Juliana shares three tips for success for women in technology:

1)  Set an audacious goal
“And you get to decide what is audacious. In my case, my dream was to do a master’s degree in the United States. I remember the conversation with my parents as if it was today. They thought it was a wonderful idea. My father specifically said, ‘I love that you want to broaden your scope, meet different people and cultures. You will grow so much as a woman and intellectually.’ To me, that meant, set your goal and go for it.”

2)  Find a male mentor and a female role model
“The IT industry is still male-dominated and that won’t change in my generation, unfortunately. My expectation for my mentor is that he will help me find my next role.”

3)  Deliver results
“Always, always deliver results,” she says.