Student Track A Wide Career Lens – Recognizing the Options
From Anita Borg Institute Wiki
Moderator: Phyllis Stewart Pires (SAP) Panelists: Maria Olson (SAP), Patty Lopez (filling in for JeanAnn Nicols) (Intel), Alysia Andrikopoulos (Google), Betty Chan-Bauza (LifeLock)
Do you have a clear understanding of your strengths and how best to align those to career opportunities? This panel will explore how best to identify your skills and strengths, how to create a career roadmap that is flexible and responds to the opportunities available, and finally how to identify creative career options to match your skills and strengths based on the varied careers represented by the panel.
Liz Kiewiet, GHC 2009 Live Notetaker. I also blog on the official Grace Hopper blog at http://ghcbloggers.blogspot.com
Q: What did you want to do when you grow up, and what was your journey to where you are today?
Maria - airline worker, dancer, actress, lawyer Started at HP in manufacturing line. Procurement management. After 12 years, got the courage to leave and go to a startup during the dotcom. One of my managers told me I could do it and I loved business development. Now at SAP.
Alysia- wanted to be a truck driver because we would always go on these roadtrips and the truck drivers always seemed to be having a good time. My heroes have always been creators and innovators - like Leonardo Divinci. Found opportunity in product design and engineering during college, decided wanted to become an entrepreneur. Joined HP and was there for a few years in project management. After 19 years, product mgmt to business development, started own business. Have worked at HP, Compaq, Google, two startups. 4 years at Google is the longest tenure- b/c had the opportunity to work on cool startup projects.
Betty - wanted ot be a hairdresser. Dad convinced me that it was a bad idea because my arms would get tired. As a teenager in high school, really enjoyed writing. Dad said that you realize I'm paying for college, right? If I'm paying you have three choices: doctor, lawyer, engineer. I didn't want to be a doctor because I don't like blood, didn't like to be a lawyer because I don't like to debate, decided on engineering. After a semester, changed from mechanical to industrial engineering because I wanted some business side of things. Anderson. 12 years in project management in wireless. Went into voice, satellite systems. Currently working at Lifelock.
Patty - Wanted to be a cheerleader. No job in that...had a "nemesis" in school and didn't want to let him beat me. Spurred me to push myself further than I would, from spelling bees, to math and science. Computer Science class where I programmed with paper punches... Fell into computing in college. Problem solving (one of my strengths), special study courses in Artificial Intelligence, decided to do a master's in artificial intelligence, neural networks. Went on and decided to go into PhD program. Wanted to be a professor, but there weren't any jobs. Interviewed with HP. Write code for imaging piece of scanners, printers, etc. Made sure the image quality was the best you could get. Wrote patents, solved problems people would use everyday. I hit a roadblock as a woman of color. It was a defining moment for me, so I went somewhere else last year at Intel. Now doing logic validating for processors, found a new technical community where I can make a difference.
Q: What do you wish you'd known when you graduated about "career planning" and "establishing goals".
Betty: It's ok to change your mind. Nobody expects you to know what you want to do when you grow up. Think about your interests - you work for a long time. Also, environment around you changes. A lot of factors go into that - economy, etc. When you think of a career or a goal, you've got to adapt and embrace change. you're going to be at a lot of different life stages. It's ok to step sideways, it's not always climbing the letter and going up. When you go out into the world world, it's amazing to understand and learn about the different jobs there are. You're going to learn a whole new lexicon. When you step into different functions, it makes you a better business person because you get a better perspective on the company.
Alysia: I already knew deep down what I wanted to do. Looking back 20 years later, I wish I had the confidence to trust my intuiation. I listened to a lot of people, and took other people's advice. One of the best tools that I had was a professor who made us go through our own "self assessment". That introspection really gave me a good idea what I wanted to do.
Maria: #1 for me when I came out of college and into industry at HP...I didn't have any idea of all the different positions that were available. Num 2-Really capitalizing on your strengths. When I was in college, it was about improving your weakness. Capitalize on your brand, strength, and passion and go into that direction.
Patty: Computer science was still developing when I graduated. Not a lot of companies that could tell you what you'll do. It's a great opportunity to check out the companies - the roles and especially the organizational culture. Make sure the values are aligned with yours, that you'll have the flexibility to move around, and you'll have authentic leadership (that will motivate you everyday).
- Paraphrasing: Have confidence, flexibility, capitalize on your strengths.
Q: What are the tools that you've taken advantage of now that you wish you had taken advantage earlier?
Betty- recently I convinced my company to purchase a coach for me. As a VP, minority female, I always that I was a very good communicator. Early on, having a company pay for you might not be an option- but the option is looking for mentors or people you admire. In the work world, it's not always about right and wrong. In the business world, you can be right and it doesn't matter. It's about making sure you communicate in a way the everyone understands. It's enriching/making sure you can understand and read people.
Alysia- One of the things that has given me help is a little stack of index cards. I had a professor do a 'values sort' exercise with us. Things you value in work and life. You sort them out and prioritize them. This has helped me make decisions, both small (project) and large (career change). Other two things that I would point out...I do a lot of extracurricular and have a short attention span. I would encourage you to think about other things that you enjoy in life. In my other hobbies I've learned a lot about teams...other things...and I use it in work as well. ALSO, books! Read.
Question to Betty: What tradeoffs do you think you've made in your career to achieve goals, and the flexibility required for that?
I've been married 15 years, and when we met, we lived in two different cities. Made my husband move to me. He was from Saint Louis and I from Chicago. He wanted to move to hotter weather...after a few years, he decided that he wanted to move to Phoenix. I was at telecomm at the time, and there was only 1 company other there that did that. Got the job two weeks after he told me he wanted to move. In the 15 years we've moved 5 or 6 times...and when he chooses, it's always Phoenix or Scottsdale. When I choose, it's San Francisco, London...
Q to Maria: What are the things that go through your mind when you're doing a career change?
Early on, the riskier the better. Now later on, I still like the challenge and learning. But having a boss that I work well with and can grow with is the most important thing to me now. Also, since I'm a single mom, the work/life balance is imp too.
Q: What specific q's do you ask yourself before you make that sort of career change?
Maria: I once had two job offers and had to choose. The answer to me there was because I bonded with the manager and the team.
Patty: Manager who saw what I had to offer, not just technical but the soft skills as well, and who could support me as who I was. Your relationship with your manager is probably the most important relationship you can have - need good feedback, a trust relationship.
Alysia: I stopped looking for a manager..because whenever I'd join a company because I liked the manager, the manager would leave. I look at the entire team now, the culture of the organization, and the project.
Q from audience; have you ever had a project so cool that you've been so excited but didn't even know how to start?
Alysia- Needed to build a team from 0 to 700 in enough time to build a project eight months after 2 days of work at Google. I didn't have any full time employees, just contractors. Assessed the people I was working with, put the frameworks in place for them to succeed. In a few months I had hired 500 people and trained them, and we finished in December. So basically I relied in people who trust in me, and used baby steps.
Patty - Break it up. Make goals.
What advice do you have to people who have a goal to start their own company, or make a career change...did you have particular people who pushed you?
Betty: "Being outside your comfort zone" empowers you and can surprise you. "Do your interest and your money will come" Do something that inspires and interests you...money is important, but in the big scheme of things it's not the only thing that's important.
Alysia: Rely on your friends and family. Follow your passions. But be realistic regarding mortgage. At a certain point you need to do a reality check (in regards to being an entrepreneur)
Maria: At the end of the day, I asked myself if I really just wanted to stay at one place my whole life? Honestly the experiences at the different companies I've been at has been the most valuable lesson.
Final Advice
Maria: No matter what your job is, do it well. At the end of the day, figure out how you contributed value to an organization. That's the part that keeps me motivated. Also, don't be afraid to fail, because you learn more from them more. Finally, make goals.
Patty: I see a lot of women who think that if they just do their job they'll be recognized. Unfortunately that's not always the case, and the playing field isn't level yet. Toot your own horn! Don't get pigeon-holed into a position in your company. The only way you can get out of a role and into another is to grow someone else into your role (and gives you an opp to grow and lead at the same time).
Betty: Networking. Do a great job (that actually builds your network).
Alysia: Write your own obituary today, and think about what you want to do, think of your career as the pieces that fit in towards that ultimate goal. Really what matters is your passion on the mark you want to make. That will lead to a good career progression. Know yourself and where you want to go and what you want to do.
Liz Kiewiet, GHC 2009 Live Notetaker. I also blog on the official Grace Hopper blog at http://ghcbloggers.blogspot.com
