“If this is something that you really want to do, if you believe in it… simply keep forging forward because success will come” Cassandra Sanford

Never stop learning

In the tech industry or whatever industry you are in, it is always important to know that you if you don't keep improving yourself you get left behind. Nowadays, there is more competition because of the availability of resources. As we get older, we become easily replaceable by the younger folks having the same skills and willing to do the job for less pay. So let’s get into the habit of continuous learning and improvement.

Perseverance

There is also another side of the coin, things that you experience when you start working with people of different characters and exposed to different work environments. Have you ever heard comments like:

“Do it now because once you have kids that's it”

I have heard this several times throughout my career and unfortunately these types of comments have all come from men I have worked with in the industry. But you know you have to learn to work around these people and don't let this get in the way of doing what you need to do. It has made me stronger and want to keep persevering.

Negotiation

Another challenge for me has been asking for what I want. I was a pretty quiet person growing up and it has not always been easy for me to ask for what I want. Over the years I feel the industry has toughened me up. I had to learn to be assertive in this field, choose my fights and don't be afraid to ask for what I want. One such example that we usually do not talk about is salary negotiation. I was reading in an article recently and it said that 9/10 times men will ask for a raise while women would choose not to. I did some reflection and have personally remembered making excuses like “maybe I am asking for too much” or “i’m sure they will say no, why bother to waste my time”. I realized that you need to identify the value in your work and from there it becomes much easier because you can clearly define what you are doing and realize the impact it has.  Start by setting goals for yourself, write down a list of things you want to complete this month and check in from time to time to be aware of your progress. Let’s get into the habit of asking for what we want!

Don’t burn out

Have you ever found yourself on a Friday night at a dinner with friends having drinks and chatting but yet at the back of your mind you are thinking of that report you need to submit on Monday? That’s probably a sign of burn out and being aware of it is the first step to freedom. You need to take a step back and focus on yourself, I mean really focus on yourself.. come back to reality.. Do the things you enjoy and remind yourself why you enjoy it. I have personally suffered from burn out and it is tiring so I have had to push myself to draw the line between work and personal life. Remember to stay in touch with those people that keep you going because we cannot do it alone.

To end off, this is a quote I think sums up what I am trying to convey to you 🙂

“Trust in yourself, believe that your voice matters, and know that your words are good enough”