Precisely Women in Technology: Meet Ewelina Rauer

The Precisely Women in Technology (PWIT) network was first established to bring the women of Precisely together to create more opportunities for learning and engagement. Throughout the years, the program has grown, and it now provides mentorship opportunities, a book club, networking events, and more. Each month, a woman from the program is featured to share more about her experience as a woman in tech, her career journey, and the advice she has for other women navigating the same industry. Continue reading to learn more about Ewelina Rauer, Supervisor, Globalization Programs.

Why did you choose to pursue a career in technology?

I never thought that I would have a career in technology. My mom owned a travel agency, and as a little girl, I traveled a lot with my mom on business trips around Europe. That’s when my passion for foreign languages and cultures began. I liked English the most, so I decided to pursue a degree in English Language and Literature. Once Poland joined the European Union, I took advantage of the new opportunities and moved to London. I wanted to develop my project management skills and work in the translation industry, so I studied for my Master’s Degree in Applied Translation Studies and this is where I discovered localization and ultimately chose to specialize in it.

After graduation, I did some localization-related work for the Polish-English bilingual radio in London and for a global localization service provider in Bangkok, where I lived for 2 years. Then in 2011, I returned to Poland and was intrigued by a job posting for a QA Test Engineer at Pitney Bowes. I didn’t think my technical skills were strong enough for that position, but I applied and to my surprise, they called me for an interview and hired me for a different job: a Localization Test Engineer.

Who has been your greatest professional mentor? What’s one thing you have learned from them?

I’ve been really fortunate to have had a few mentors in my professional life, but the greatest mentor was my previous manager and the Director of Globalization at Pitney Bowes. We met during a training in the UK and after a few months, she offered me a position in the Globalization team through the internal mobility program. She saw my potential and really helped me understand my strengths. This helped me believe in myself and say ‘yes’ to new opportunities and challenges.

What’s the biggest risk you took in your career? What was the reward?

The biggest risk I took was the transition from my position as a Localization Test Engineer to a Localization Project Manager. It seemed a bit risky to me at the beginning because I had a great manager based in the U.K. and he supported my move, but also wanted me to stay on his team. We had a few calls to discuss my move and he agreed to a three-month transition period during which I started to learn about the new job but still supported all the open projects. I had collaborated with the Globalization team for almost two years before I joined, so I knew what was expected from the role and deep down I knew I had to go for it. I didn’t see myself advancing on the technical ladder and here was an opportunity for me to gain experience as a PM. I felt it was the best next step for me to advance my career in technology and localization and it really was. It was undoubtedly the best decision I made in my professional life. I’ve been working in Globalization for 10 years and I love it. I enjoy what I do, and I have the best team to work with.

As a woman, what challenges have you faced in the technology industry? How have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge for me has been keeping up with the technology progress while starting a family. I am a mom of two little boys (4 and 1.5 years old) and even though I returned to part-time work after a four-month maternity leave, each time I felt like so much had changed and there’s so much to catch up on. Especially now with the evolution of AI, both the technology and localization industry evolve so quickly that it’s a real challenge to stay up to date with the market trends while innovating and improving our operational efficiency. Before I had children, I would read some interesting blogs and articles in my leisure time, but the problem is that I hardly have any spare time now because that time is now focused on my boys.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? How do you apply it to your personal and professional life?

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, you’ll grow from every single one of them.

Early on in my career I found it difficult to deal with mistakes. I’ve always expected a lot from myself and each failure clipped my wings a bit. But, I learned that it’s okay to make a mistake as long as you don’t indulge in it; stand up and move forward. In both my personal and professional life, I try to focus on tomorrow and what I can do to make a positive impact rather than reminiscing the past. It’s important to know what went wrong and why to draw conclusions and apply them in the future. Revisiting and ruminating on your mistakes is simply unhealthy.

What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to younger women entering the industry?

Be open minded. Find out what you’re passionate about and share your enthusiasm with people around you. You never know when a new door will open for you.

As a successful woman in technology, what’s one thing you do to pay it forward and advocate for other women in the field?

I share my knowledge and experiences with other women to encourage them to believe in themselves. I’m also a member of PWIT and a non-profit organization, Women in Localization, where I volunteered for two years in the Technology Program before I had kids. I’ve joined several events – locally and globally – where I’ve participated as a panel speaker. And recently, I presented at the Poland Innovation Technology Summit with the goals of inspiring other women to take a chance on themselves.

Learn more about us on our Careers and Culture page.