AdaMarie Expert Boomie Odumade offers 10 grounded tips for navigating a STEM career without a rigid five-year plan.

While Women’s History Month often celebrates “firsts,” the work of progress continues quietly every day. For early-career women in STEM, the challenge is not just breaking in but staying — navigating visibility, mentorship, and advancement in spaces still catching up to their presence.

In this recent LinkedIn Live coffee chat conversation, AdaMarie Expert Dr. Carmen Banks shares what visibility actually looks like in the workplace and how professionals, especially early in their careers, can take ownership of how their work is perceived.

Equal Pay Day is a reminder that women, especially women in STEM, are still being underpaid for their expertise. In this blog, we unpack what Equal Pay Day is, how the wage gap shows up across race and gender, and why advocating for yourself early in your STEM career is a powerful tool for change.

Posted 2/16/2026: Featured entry and mid-level jobs at top STEM companies, requested by our community. Explore and apply now!

Most resumes read like job descriptions instead of proof of impact. In this piece, Kristy McCann Flynn draws on 20+ years in HR to show early-career professionals how to move from listing responsibilities to demonstrating results. If you want to understand how recruiters actually read resumes and how to position yourself with confidence—this is required reading.

Being open early in your career can feel smart, but staying too broad often makes it harder for employers and recruiters to understand where you fit. Learn why direction matters, how clarity creates career acceleration, and practical ways to define the kinds of roles that align with your strengths without locking yourself into a single path.

“Dear AdaMarie, I’m early in my engineering career and feel pressure to say yes to everything. How do I clarify my direction without closing doors too soon?”

In this AdaMarie Mirror, She’kia Morant reflects on building a career at the intersection of brand, culture, and leadership without waiting for everything to be figured out first. She shares how curiosity, adaptability, and trust in her perspective shaped her path, and why action, not certainty, is what drives growth.

Sopuruchi Ndubuisi is a UX Design Engineer at Apple whose career bridges art, design, and technology. In this Mirror, she shares how starting as an art major, leaning into experimentation, and trusting her curiosity led her to design engineering and work at the intersection of AI, development tools, and user experience.

Posted 2/2/2026: Featured entry and mid-level jobs at top STEM companies, requested by our community. Explore and apply now!

“Hi, AdaMarie! I know I want to grow, but I struggle to articulate what I actually want next. How do I get clearer about the kind of responsibility I should be asking for without sounding unsure or scattered?”

Brooke Grindlinger is a 2026 AdaMarie Expert and Chief Scientific Officer at the New York Academy of Sciences, where she leads interdisciplinary programs, global prize initiatives, and efforts to responsibly integrate AI into science and education. In this Mirror, Brooke reflects on pivoting from bench research to science philanthropy, building impact through systems, and learning to advocate for yourself when the path forward isn’t obvious.

Kinta Gates is a systems thinker, supply chain leader, and certified life coach whose career spans more than two decades across engineering, operations, and end-to-end planning. In this AdaMarie Mirror, she shares how a non-linear path became a strategic advantage, the role culture and upbringing played in shaping her standards, and why self-mastery is what sustains long-term success in STEM.

The 2026 AdaMarie Career Accelerator is a six-week, cohort-based program designed to help early-career professionals strengthen core career skills that compound over time. Through live, expert-led sessions and guided peer discussion, participants build confidence in communication, self-advocacy, emotional intelligence, and navigating emerging tools like AI. The program offers structure, support, and real-world insight for professionals ready to move forward with intention.

Direction creates momentum in your career. In this reflection, we share practical ways early-career professionals can clarify direction, align their work with impact, and accelerate growth without burnout, plus an invitation to the 2026 Career Accelerator.

In this AdaMarie Mirror, Naome Jeanty shares her journey from policy and program evaluation into nonprofit tech, where she now builds Salesforce systems that help mission-driven organizations scale impact. She reflects on navigating pivots, learning technology in real time, and why strong data infrastructure is essential to public service work.

Boomie Odumade is a 2026 AdaMarie Expert and the founder of TechBees, where she supports engineers and organizations navigating growth, leadership, and career sustainability. With experience as both an engineer and a senior technical leader, Boomie’s journey reflects the realities of building a long-term career in software while balancing purpose, impact, and life beyond work.

Marie Libres is a 2026 AdaMarie Expert and product designer helping early-stage teams transform uncertain ideas into clear, actionable products. In this Mirror, she reflects on pivoting into tech, designing with cultural context, and building a career grounded in curiosity, boundaries, and purpose.

Priya Abiram is a 2026 AdaMarie Fellow, aerospace engineer, pilot, and astronaut-in-training focused on designing systems that support human health and performance in extreme environments. With experience across NASA, Blue Origin, Boeing, and research institutions, her work bridges spacecraft engineering, bioastronautics, and human-centered design. Beyond technical expertise, Priya brings a strong commitment to education, equity, and mentorship in STEM.