Tugce Ozdeger is a Senior Software Engineer and a Career Acceleration Mentor for Women in Tech. After a long corporate career, Tugce created strategies to level up her tech career
on her own terms. She has since dedicated her life to helping women to unleash their full potential by defining a lucrative career that allows them to experience the life of their dreams in tech. She is the founder of Heart-Centric Tech Mentoring, an online tech career mentoring academy with students from many different countries. Tugce was featured on various digital publications and podcasts. She was a speaker at SweTugg, which is one of the prestigious tech conferences in Stockholm. Tugce was also the project leader for one of the most appreciated IT-Conferences for Women in Tech in Sweden, which was arranged completely digital. Her mission: More women in tech.
Who is Tugce?
I am a Senior Software Engineer with a heart and Leading Career Advancement Mentor for Women in Technology. I’m originally from Istanbul, Turkey, and I have been living the past 11 years of my life in Sweden, and I’m currently living in Stockholm for 7,5 years now. I’m very passionate about technology and software development as well as personal development. I always have a genuine interest in personal development and human potential since an early age. I was fortunate enough to receive coaching from world-class coaches, which transformed my life completely since then. I truly loved what I’ve been doing with building IT systems to ease and make a difference in people’s daily lives which I still do as a consultant just because it’s absolutely my passion. However, I knew inside of me that I’m here for a bigger mission and my coaches helped me to untap my potential. I started my mentoring business, where I combined my expertise in software development with empowering more women by helping them to unleash their full potential to achieve their dreams in tech.
What is it that you do for your clients?
I guide them to get to know themselves more closely; their values, what matters to them,
what makes them excited. I support them to reach their inner power, and their true potential by integrating what they are passionate to do with technology. We, humans, thrive when we bring our passion and our burning desire to our daily work, and that’s what I support them with to show them that everything is possible no matter what background or story they have as long as they are passionate about making and impact in technology. We work together on things like goal setting, career planning, mission execution, mindset, self-confidence, creating a vision in tech, and how to make a tech career by design. They ultimately create a powerful career that they love and achieve the success they deserve by believing in their mission fully, deeply, and completely.
Who should work with you?
Women who are passionate about technology. I’m one of them and have been either where they are now or where they would like to be. I feel them and know how they think and what struggles they have because guess what? I had exactly the same challenges and that’s why I feel confident that I can support them to go through their challenges and help them to achieve a tangible result in their career while enjoying the ride :)
What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
That’s a very good question :) Technology is my passion. I definitely see myself as a female leader instilling innovative and creative ideas in this field going forward. I really would like to contribute to gender diversity in tech as a role model by empowering and encouraging other women to take the leap in their tech careers. I really feel that I’m going in the right direction towards my big goal is to positively impact the technology industry across the globe over the next 10 years through my mentoring, my innovative IT-solution ideas, and public speaking.
What would be your 3 top tips for passionate women who want to make a difference in tech?
My first piece of advice would be to get clear about what it is that you want to achieve in your tech career. What does it really matter to you when it comes to your tech career? The more clarity you gain about what makes you excited in building your tech career, the easier it will be to navigate towards your career goal. My second advice is to be proactive, be visible, surround yourself with like-minded people. Your network is your net worth. Be open-minded to new ideas, insights and get inspired by others who have achieved massive success in their tech career. Participate in tech conferences, listen to tech podcasts and follow technology blogs to always stay up to date with the latest technology.
Last but not least, work with a mentor who can stay beside you and guide you through your tech career journey. Don’t feel like you need to figure out everything by yourself. Dare to ask for help and give yourself permission to get all the support you need to fast-track your tech career while enjoying the ride.
