So how many people felt that pressure growing up, that they had two primary career options 1. Being a Doctor and 2. Being a lawyer? Well its safe to say that neither of those options were for me. Science was an okay subject but I was pretty average at it, so that ruled out being a doctor pretty early on. Reading, reading, and more reading - that was what I thought a typical law student would be doing for many years and as someone who didn't enjoy books much growing up, it was another no from me. To be honest I don’t think I had that direct pressure growing up (the kind that is pretty common in most asian households), but around me I saw a lot of my friends at school, particularly my asian friends, really try to excel in those subjects and put so much into it that they would be really knocked if their grades weren’t great.
I discovered my passion for IT at GCSE level this and it was really a little light bulb moment, I was one of those people who never had an answer for “what do you want to be when you’re older?” I still don’t! So I always just went with where I had the best grades. There I was picking some A-Levels and something about Computer Science intrigued me, so I went for it. That was one hell of a journey. Terms like 'IF…ELSE?' were thrown around... You what? It took me a while for me to get to grips with it, thats for sure. Oh and yes, for the first time ever in my school years I was one of only two girls in the class room!! I think this is why I am now so passionate about getting more women into tech!
Anyway back to my story, I managed to get my head around the 'IF' statements and all the other coding/algorithm terms that came with the A-Level. I then decided to continue the journey in my degree, studying IT & Business Management and keeping the focus on Computer Science whilst also learning more about Business. I wasn’t sure of what doors this might open but was always just focussed on achieving the best results - one day at a time. I sometimes still think now... should I have given the whole Doctor thing a go? At least I would be guaranteed a job. At least I would be doing something impactful.
However, now I realise that Technology is impactful! There are jobs! And it is an amazing industry to be a part of! So having done all that, I was successful in landing a graduate role at Microsoft. A company with great values, with a mission to change and empower the world with technology. My career so far has really opened my eyes to how we can influence those industries, like healthcare, to empower them and help them to do their job.
So here are my top tips
Ignore what people say - yes you heard me right. It is SO hard to do when, as a society, all we are told is what success should look like. You study hard, you become a doctor, you get married and settle down. That is job done. That is what equals success. Well folks, let’s challenge this... because it is time we do what we love.
Explore what you enjoy - ask yourself what do I love in life? What impact do I want to have in life? Maybe start off here - what does your prefect day look like? Whatever the answer, work back from here because enjoying what you do is so key.
Evaluate your core values - Your core values and the principles you hold near and dear to your heart is who you are. If you take time to understand this, and what these are, it will help you plan and determine the best action going forward.
Get to Know your Dreams - Your dreams and hopes create the pathway into your future. They help you build a life you will be proud and grateful to live. Your dreams matter. Your dreams are important. Your dreams are worth going after. Don’t ever believe anything less...
