Changes in responsibilities, bosses, titles, mark today’s work world. If you buckle up and enjoy what Gloria Kee calls a rollercoaster of a ride, you’ll find success and thrills along the way.
My career journey can be best described as a rollercoaster. There’s no doubt that a rollercoaster’s twists and turns are scary, but they leave you exhilarated and confident in yourself.
The same is true in your career. Success requires stepping out of your comfort zone and chasing your goals, even when they veer from the traditional path.
I have always strived to consistently feel challenged in my job because it motivates me to stay driven. As I moved up the career ladder wearing multiple hats, including software consultant, architect, and project manager, I realized that I was constantly looking for opportunities where I could use more of my engineering background to make a larger impact at the company.
Halfway through my career, my company gave me the opportunity to transition to product management. This felt like a great medium between engineering and my previous roles.
In order to transition departments, I took a step back in title, which felt like starting all over again. Taking that leap of faith was daunting. My new boss left just one month later, and three months into my transition, I questioned whether I had made the right career move.
I cycled through several bosses over the next two years, with each boss bringing a different perspective. The discomfort I experienced drove me toward success. The leadership turbulence meant I frequently interacted with many departments, allowing me to build trust across the organization quickly
I soon started participating in the direct selling activities of the products I was responsible for. My experience gave me a glimpse into wearing different hats at the organization, knowledge that has been invaluable in my journey as a product manager. Fast forward eight years through many successes and failures — I now own full responsibility for an entire vertical.
As a woman working in the science and engineering field, I experienced many obstacles my male colleagues did not. One event sticks out in my mind — I was explicitly told that my manager overlooked me for a promotion because they thought I wanted to focus on my family. That left me in utter disbelief, because I thought, “Why couldn’t someone have both?” I highly doubt any man had ever received that feedback.
I knew at a young age I wanted to work in STEM, but women were not encouraged to pursue math and science degrees, let alone given access to the same opportunities available to men. As a result, there are few women in STEM now, especially in leadership, which limits mentorship. I’ve only had a couple of female mentors in my career. As a result, I strive to provide mentorship to women starting out in science.
My career journey has not been linear, but those deviations and wanderings have helped me become a strong leader. I encourage women to step off the career carousel and jump on a rollercoaster. The occasional drop leads to a higher high.
