30572_Kao Data Critical Careers_Pages - Flipbook - Page 73
Were there any moments
that encouraged you to
stay in the industry?
What has surprised about
being a woman in digital
infrastructure?
genuinely love this industry. It blends my
expertise in real estate and contracts with
exciting innovations like cloud technology, AI,
and software development. Being a part of building
the infrastructure that powers AI technology has
captured my imagination and I can’t imagine doing
anything else.
hat has surprised me the most is the
feeling of being out of place when it
comes to the lack of women in this
industry. I’ve often found myself the only woman
in a room, and sometimes noticed that I felt
excluded from certain conversations. Initially,
I thought it was from a lack of knowledge or
expertise. Over time, I realized that it wasn’t about
my abilities but rather about the natural ease
with which my male colleagues, who were more
frequently in the 昀椀eld together, communicated
and connected. This networking and relationshipbuilding among them often translated into
professional advantages that weren’t necessarily
accessible to someone like me.
I
One of the major turning points for me was
deciding to move from a career in law to one in
business. Coming from a background where I
was the 昀椀rst in my family to go to college and law
school, this decision was huge. I chose law initially
because I wanted a stable career that would allow
me to support myself 昀椀nancially. But after working
in law, I realized that my heart was more drawn to
the business side of things. Even though I knew I
had a lot to learn, the change felt right.
Moving from Boston to Seattle was another
big step for me. It opened up so many new
opportunities and broadened my perspective in
ways I had never imagined. Every major change
I’ve made, despite the uncertainty, turned out to
be incredibly rewarding. These experiences taught
me the value of stepping out of my comfort zone
and embracing new challenges. Now, I always
encourage others to go after what they want—
because even if it doesn’t turn out as expected,
there’s always something valuable to be learned.
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W
I saw this play out in a very tangible way by
watching the career progression of my male
peers. I noticed that despite similar levels of
hard work, promotions came more readily to
them, highlighting the importance of politicking
and building a network beyond just completing
job tasks. It wasn’t until I joined the Women’s
Leadership Network at T-Mobile, that I truly
began to understand the nuances of navigating
the corporate landscape. The network provided
me with invaluable insights and mentorship,
helping me develop the soft skills and strategic
relationships necessary to advance my career.
