The trickle of women in electronics is growing steadily. In conversation with the EFY on the occasion of Women’s Day, Chetna Mohan, President of El Camino Technologies Pvt Ltd shares experiences of her career journey into the electronics industry.
Real knowledge and exposure to the electronics industry can be gained on the profession through practical experience. “Though my technical education was restricted to theory, I am learning everyday at work – even from customers at their site to overseas partners,” she added.
As there are a lot of roles dedicated to expanding opportunities for women in the Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), she says lack of knowledge can give uncertainty. She suggests taking guidance from the right people to get into the field.
“From my experience, I have come across women who prefer to work in electronics due to its convenience with respect to design and development, as it does not require physical presence in a factory set up. Women can focus on design, assembly and testing. They may also take up managerial roles in order to supervise complex initiatives from conception to completion and gradually progress into a more senior position, which involves having responsibility for team or larger projects and budgets. Both the fields require problem-solving skills, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, and creativity,” she elaborates.
With her first job as a Director at Indosale Pvt Ltd and El Camino Technologies Pvt Ltd in 1996, Mohan had begun her career learning about semiconductor manufacturing, while the company just started a new tie up with an agency for RF and microwave components.
She proudly says that the company’s first president, who also happened to be her Father-in-Law as well as her mentor, pushed her into learning semiconductor manufacturing and other office roles from scratch.
“He would say every woman should have three “Cs” (Career, knowledge of Computers, Car). With his immense support, I could grow and succeed.”
Mohan urges women not to compromise on job schedules and also to learn from mistakes. Those lessons will only serve to make you a better person, more mature and wiser. Hence, learning is greater than the mistakes, she added.
When asked about tips for male colleagues, she advises them to build camaraderie with women. “Open up ideas, share knowledge, give and take assistance just like you would do with other men,”.
