Escaping imposter syndrome in a male-dominated team

Growing up, my humble background in India meant I would need to try an extra hand. In India, traditionally, everyone chooses to be a doctor or an engineer because of the high-paying standards. While my siblings pursued their careers as surgeons and consultants, I decided to be an engineer.

I applied to STEM Universities, fully aware that only a few women were accepted. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Andhra University and obtaining an MBA, my journey in the tech industry began.

All studies and no play – a competitive Education System

There was a constant need to excel in all fields in India because of the high competition, in which the most crucial was academic excellence, making my childhood all studies no play.

Indian Institute of Management was the Institution where I studied Business. IIM, being the premier institution, made sure that all studies, no play, continued by having men to women ratio of 20:1. During the course, there weren’t any programs or incentives for female engineers, though my primary focus was studies only.

My MBA was done in 2010, a period of recession which eventually made finding a job a tough task. The market was competitive and challenging then, but my knowledge and hard work being persistent landed me at Microsoft!

Microsoft turned out to be exceptional at encouraging diversity and inclusion. This was the first time I had women as mentors and Industry role models. I had the opportunity to attend networking events for women, and presenting my work in meetings made me realize that I am finally visible now in this race. Microsoft made sure that they invested their time and resources to instigate much-needed changes in the IT world, which eventually helped women in tech.

Working at Microsoft was a steppingstone in my career. It provided me with numerous experiences and opportunities, setting a standard for what an inclusive and diverse workplace should resemble.

Am I growing if nobody is here to witness?  

Being a hard worker, sometimes I felt like I was not given what I deserved, for example, constant professional promotions, and it started bothering me, but then one of my female mentors shared a story with me that changed my perspective on success.

It goes something like this:‍

When you plant a seed of the bamboo tree, it doesn’t grow in the first year. You water the bamboo tree every day, monitor the temperature, and feed the soil if needed. Even though your family, neighbors, or friends might think the task you’re doing is useless, you keep going year after year. Only after the fifth year does a sprout appear. However, in only six weeks, the tree grows extremely high.‍

The idea behind the story is that building your skillset in the background, showing up every day, and being persistent pays off. The thing is you might not see it right away, but after a while, success becomes inevitable. Also, I feel that this took the pressure off me needing to have a certain title or role in a planned timeline.

Whether it’s working with different clients or taking on new roles, work is more about the experiences. Now, I love that I can take on new challenges at work and build a wider or bigger skillset. For example, recently, I got a chance to work with enterprises for the first time. Also, I moved from a business role into a more technical one which made me go one step up the ladder.

My belief: Work hard but play harder!

While I love my professional career, it’s equally important to build a life outside of work. I didn’t see much of the outside world while growing up because my primary focus was studies. So, scoring a remote job was the key to the lifestyle which I always wanted to have.

Suddenly, I was able to travel and have the flexibility to work from anywhere. So far, I've been to 32 countries. I can truly say that exploring diverse cultures through travel has broadened my horizons. Seeing how people in other countries live and function helps me build better products and new perspectives towards them. It also helps me to ease stress from work, meet freelancers, and network.

Moreover, travelling has introduced me to different cuisines. One thing I never compromise on is the quality of food I’m eating. Even when I’m not travelling, visiting other restaurants twice a week with my family and friends is a routine. To ensure I can keep enjoying trying new food, I keep myself active by going to the gym.

Advice for the women fighting imposter syndrome

There seems to be more talk today about imposter syndrome. Many women and people in general feel it, so the good news is you’re not alone in this. I’m with you.

Few takeaways on how one should tackle imposter syndrome:

• Writing about it to clear your take on it.
• Talking with other people who are also experiencing it.
• Asking for feedback from my colleagues to improve my work.
• Celebrating, even the small achievements.
• Looking for the opportunity to push myself out of the comfort zone
• Asking myself: “What’s the worst that can happen?”  Without standing my ground and being authentic, I’m sure I wouldn’t be where I’m today.