Cali Schwartzly
Cali Schwartzly
Marketing Manager
ECM - Global Measurement Solutions
Women In Metrology Survey Answers...
1. Tell us about the accomplishments that helped shape your growth/career. Was there a specific project that influenced your decision to join or continue down the path of metrology?
I graduated with a B.A. in Marketing and Communications from Saginaw Valley State University. When I was in school, I never imagined myself ending up in the STEM industry. I never excelled at math or science so when I imagined myself putting these newfound marketing skills to use, I didn’t think much about working for a technical company. I have had many moments in my career that have stuck with me through the years. One that stands out at the moment was when I was considering going back for my masters in marketing. I remember really struggling to make the decision. I felt this was what I needed to do to move up in this industry. I confided in a colleague that happened to be my boss’s boss about my reservations. I’ll never forget what he told me. He said, “I will promote you on your effort, your drive and your results, never on how many degrees you have.” This conversation led me to focus on what mattered to me – becoming the best in my field. Instead of going back to school, I threw myself into my career and took every opportunity to learn from my peers and bosses to gain as much experience as possible. I continuously showed improvement in my abilities, and this provided me with the proper direction and drive I needed to move forward in my career.
2. What was your journey like to get you to where you are now? Was there a particular challenge you had to overcome?
The biggest challenge for me was learning how to market products and services to engineer-minded customers. I learned quickly the type of marketing techniques I learned in college would not work the same in this industry. I had to learn a very technical way of reaching customers and prospects, many of whom were much more knowledgeable and experienced in this industry. Having to learn so many technical industry terms I had never heard of before was also extremely challenging. I was always the creative mind, not the scientific mathematician my industry colleagues proved to be. Being a young woman in the industry was not as much of a challenge as I thought it would be, mainly because I had a lot of great mentors that taught me the ropes and guided me along the way.
3. What is your favorite aspect of your role in metrology?
I love waking up every morning to a set of new tasks. Yes, there are the maintenance-type tasks that have to be done every day, but there is always a new project to work on, something to challenge my marketing style and technique. I like bringing ideas to life. Developing goals and creating a strategy to meet those goals is one of my favorite aspects of marketing. Another is the ever-changing digital age and developing campaigns to meet the new generation standards in marketing.
4. What is the most critical aspect of your role?
The most critical aspect of my role is the mere fact that I am the only one in my department. There are no days off from marketing. The website always has to be monitored, Ads need to run and continuously optimized, communicating service offerings to customers and prospects never ceases, and events and tradeshows won’t get planned by themselves. All of these aspects keep our online visibility high and our physical presence where we need to be, in front of our customers.
5. Who was one of your mentors as you pursued your education and career?
I have been blessed with some truly amazing mentors through the years starting with my parents. They always believed in me and showed me through their experiences how to work hard for what I wanted to achieve in life. I was fortunate to have a mentor in every boss I’ve had. They each taught me a set of new skills I could take with me as I grew in my career. They made sure I had every opportunity to grow and develop in my career and I am forever thankful! My first boss was actually a woman. She helped me to believe in myself and to develop confidence as a woman in metrology.
6. What advice would you give to others who are considering a STEM career?
Don’t let gender roles or stereotypes keep you from pursuing your career in whatever STEM field that interests you. Find someone who does what you want to do and learn from them. Professionals in the field love what they do and often are thrilled with the opportunity to teach someone from the younger generation what they know. Find a fellow woman in the industry and learn all you can from her. Glass ceilings only exist if you believe in them. You pave your own way by acknowledging when your time with a company has been exhausted. Always look for the next opportunity to grow your career and achieve your goals. A former boss once told me, “sometimes you have to move out to move up.” Best advice I have ever received. When you feel you have reached your glass ceiling at one company, it’s time to move out and find that sun roof in another company and open it up because the sky is the limit!
7. When did you get your first chance to work in the Metrology field?
When I graduated college, I had a vision of what I imagined my career could look like, but I never imagined a career in Metrology. I remember applying for jobs a few months before I graduated and randomly looking at the job description versus the company. I applied for jobs based on whether or not I could “see” myself in that position performing those tasks. When I first applied to Metris, now Nikon Metrology, I had no idea what Metrology was. The job description of marketing coordinator just looked very appealing to me. I was nowhere near qualified for the position, but a fellow woman in the industry believed in me and took a chance. Little did I know this job opportunity in a city I had never visited, a company I had never heard of in an industry that was completely foreign to me, would turn into the career I have today.
8. Describe the value that your efforts have delivered for the systems, products and processes.
I serve on an industry committee that provides growth through education, training and certification. For the past eight years I have worked with this organization of outstanding volunteers to create a higher awareness in the STEM field. Marketing is the backbone that provides the brand, unity, reputation, and communication to a company’s customers and prospects. Without branding, you don’t have awareness, without unity, there’s no consistency, without reputation, you don’t have trust, and without communication, you can’t provide quality customer service. You can have the best products, systems, and processes in place, but if you can’t display that to potential buyers, you can’t thrive as a business. I like to think my career path speaks for itself. I believe that I worked hard to become the career woman I am today. I believe the best achievements in life come from taking a chance on an opportunity that may seem out of your comfort zone, but you pursue and conquer. My goal is always to make the company I work for better than they were yesterday.
9. Is there anything additional you would like to add?
You are your own worst critic. You are the only one that will ever stop you from achieving your goals. Believe in yourself, believe in your dreams, work hard to achieve your goals, and you can do anything. If you find yourself working for a company that doesn’t believe in what you have to offer, move out and move up!
