I Win If We All Win
It was just a regular day. Getting up after a 6-hour sleep, getting ready, grabbing a bite, dashing to catch the Metro to university, and arriving just in time for morning lectures was a daily drill. Being a consistent scholar in school, I simply didn’t want to fall behind in university, either. However, recently, the motivation had changed to something that was more palpable and driving. I no longer wanted to only ace the academics in university, I wanted to explore everything else that came with the university experience — technical societies, cultural societies, and community service-related groups. I loved participating in these because it introduced me to innovation and implementation of textbook principles, what collaboration and diversity actually meant, and how to impart our knowledge and resources back to the community. I thrived on it because that helped me slowly realize my own potential, and tap it gradually to increase my own value as a human. That is exactly when I decided that I want a career where my value is best recognized, and where my contributions create a visible positive impact for people and businesses.
Even though I was mostly self-motivated, I started to see that some of my fellow colleagues, especially women, were struggling with various subtle issues. Issues like casual sexism, microaggressions, lack of support for self-driven initiatives, and non-recognition for achievements were commonplace. I’d personally faced these problems over time, but thankfully my parents had always been fully supportive when it came to me carving my future as a woman in technology despite no one in my family having any engineering background. So, I could empathize with these wonderful women and that’s when I decided to utilize and direct the resources of the IEEE Delhi Section WIE Affinity Group, where I was the student representative to develop Project WIE Stand. Project WIE Stand was a platform where women were encouraged to pursue any technical project of their choice and I would match them with suitable mentors from similar industries, and pitch the completed prototype for various rewards. It all went so well that most of the participants felt a new boost of confidence and support, both technical and moral, for the things they wanted to pursue. It has been my most impactful project to date.
Fast-forward a year, I got a call from Cisco who wanted me to fly down to Bangalore for a series of interviews for the Cisco Sales Associates Program (CSAP) in 2018. This was one of the roles I was deeply rooting for, and it made me ecstatic. Thus began a series of learnings, ups and downs, woo-hoos and boo-boos, and exhaustion and exhilaration. Nevertheless, I was always valued and recognized at Cisco, and the company never ceased to provide incentives for my personal and professional growth, which kept me content and aligned with my fundamentals. I had numerous opportunities to collaborate with folks from all parts of the world, and experience diversity in corporate life first hand and see the immense value it was adding to Cisco.
Post-CSAP, I joined as a Technical Solutions Specialist (TSS) in Security supporting Cisco Sales teams, partners, and customers to present and position Cisco security solutions. After working for some twenty months with a bunch of wonderful people, I decided to challenge myself a bit more and decided to move to Collab and drive an inclusive future for all with WebEx. Even though I was hesitant at first, my team and managers motivated me to give it a shot with full vigor and I eventually got through. It was a very comforting and rejuvenating experience to see, yet again, how such small gestures of support, belief, and nudges create such a huge impact on our lives. Again, not surprisingly, I was greeted with yet another wonderful and energetic team and an interesting new journey that lay ahead for me. My work as a Collaboration Specialist allows me to position, design, demonstrate and communicate the value WebEx brings to organizations and the many challenges it has and will solve for the industry during and post-Covid. After all, WebEx bridges the gap between hope and possibility and makes a better, more inclusive world where everyone has a seat at the table.
In my experience of working at Cisco for more than three years, I’ve always made sure that I explore and indulge in life beyond work as well. During my non-work hours, I love catching up with my family and friends, watching the telly, and cooking! My love for cooking gradually rose over time like a cake in an oven, and now has risen enough that I’ve started a YouTube channel to share that love with the world!
All in all, looking back retrospectively, I think all the dots in our lives always connect perfectly to each other to make sense as a whole, and in the process eventually make you who you are.
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2 Comments
Wonderful Keerti! Quite an interesting journey
Splendid Keerti !!