Mums in Tech ft. Darya Petrashka

Firstly, can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your current role?

My name is Darya, I am a Senior Data Scientist specialising in Natural Language Processing and agentic AI. I am also an AWS Community Builder, public speaker, and mentor. I have 2 daughters, they are 10 and 7.

If you could sum up what it’s like being a working mum in tech in one sentence, what would it be?

Going through different phases of all possible levels of productivity, balancing, inventing, and reinventing myself.

How do you find the balance between your career and motherhood?

I am trying to participate and be present in my girls’ lives. It may be a common movie night, a trip, a walk, a game, or reading a book together – I try to find what is enjoyable for us.

What has been your greatest challenge as a working mother in tech?

The greatest challenge for me is to know how to allocate my resources wisely. Sometimes, it is so challenging to log off while trying to make something work. Sometimes, it is so hard to start work because my energy is down.

What skills have you developed as a mother that have helped your work life?

Time management! I can do 10x more in a certain amount of time than I used to when I was a student. Also, doing things to the level they are “good enough”. It is very hard to have small kids and remain a perfectionist.

When you were returning to work, what one thing helped you / would have helped you the most?

I entered tech after a long maternity leave. For me, the most encouraging thing was finding a community of fellow women and having their support. When you are doubting yourself, having people cheering for you is the biggest treasure.

What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?

Flexible schedule, remote jobs.

Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?

Document your journey: save every praise, testimonial, and achievement. Next time, when you feel you are not doing enough, pull these records. See how much you’ve done. Look at your kids’ faces. Go to your photo gallery to remember your happy moments with them. You are doing an amazing job!