Show confidence (fake it, if needed), exert yourself, & push yourself forward

Meet Nofar Cohen, a proud mother of three and RT Embedded SW engineer at Airspan’s R&D center in Israel, who entered the field out of a love for Math, puzzles, and brainiac challenges. 

What would you say are the challenges faced by women in Hi-Tech?

I’ve experienced two maternity leaves. Coming back to work is quite challenging for women, having to constantly prove your presence, availability, and ability to deliver top quality work. While on maternity leave, the company moves forward, so upon return, you must work harder to get back to your past level and up to speed. It is quite a challenge. 

My first pregnancy and delivery occurred while I was in school for electrical engineering. Realizing that there would never be a good time to be a mom, I’ve decided that my career shouldn’t influence my decision. Fortunately, my husband, who is an engineer as well, is the most supportive person I know and we both are very much complicit in raising our children. For instance – we take turns picking up the children from kindergarten, according to availability. It’s quite beneficial to collaborate and understand each other well.

What advice would you offer women who wish to go into Hi-Tech but are frightened? 

I have never imagined I’d have a crazy career and I’ve been worried about juggling both careers as a homemaker mother and as a Hi-Tech engineer. Turns out, I found the perfect right balance and I think that it’s really up to the individual. 

Women are often insecure and that’s a shame and uncalled for. Girls, show confidence (fake it, if needed), exert yourself, and push yourself forward. Men are not any better. But, they have a better sense of self-assurance, which is something that many women lack. 

The Hi-Tech industry is seeking to hire more women. Many initiatives are aimed at developing women into Hi-Tech to gain the female perspective which is unique and special. In short, come work with us!

What is it like to work for Airspan?

To begin with, and this is vital, I feel that women and men are treated equally at Airspan. Obviously, as for childbirth and pregnancy, Airspan is more than accommodating. Also, there’s absolutely no issue taking a day off or going out earlier for your child – it just goes without saying.