Critical Careers - Women Building Careers in Digital Infrastructure - Book - Page 85
What have you learned about what truly suits you and
how is that shaping the choices you make next?
What I’ve learned is the importance of understanding what actually gives me energy and
it’s not always what I thought it was going to be.
Early on, I learned a huge amount just by saying yes and 昀椀guring things out as I went. That
made me very self-suf昀椀cient. And even the things I resisted, like moving into sales, turned out
to be valuable experiences. But over time, I’ve realised it’s not the obvious things that motivate
me. People assume, especially in sales, that it’s about closing the deal. And for me, it really
isn’t. I really enjoy everything leading up to that point. I love the interaction with people and
building the connection, especially remembering the small details about them and their lives,
all of which helps build relationships over time. That’s the part that feels natural to me.
That clarity is shaping how I look at what’s next. In the past, I might have said yes to a role
because it looked right on paper or because I thought I should want it. Now I’m much more
honest with myself. I’ve already had moments where opportunities have come up, and instead
of automatically saying yes, I’ve stepped back and thought about if it really 昀椀ts with what I want
to be doing.
What I’m leaning into now is where I can add value in a different way. Maybe that’s more advisory,
more consultancy, more around connecting people and helping them navigate things. Less about
being in a traditional role, and more about playing to the strengths I’ve built over time.
It seems like you are embracing all the ways you can
show up as your authentic self?
I am, but it’s de昀椀nitely still something I’m 昀椀guring out in real time.
What’s changed is that I’m much clearer on my own value now. I know I have something to
offer, I just don’t feel the need to force it into a prede昀椀ned role anymore. I’ve also learned from
experience that just because something looks like the “next step” doesn’t mean it’s the right
one. Ego drove so many decisions for me early on, but that’s not where I’m focusing my energy
anymore. I don’t feel the need to keep proving myself anymore.
What feels much more natural now is how I show up with people. Even something as simple as
meeting a young woman for coffee and talking through what she’s experiencing feels so much
more important. It’s not formal or structured, but it’s real. And you realise how much people just
need someone to sense-check things with who have been through it before.
Younger women seem to be entering
the workforce with a stronger sense
of belonging. What still needs to
change to create better opportunities
for them?
The biggest thing that still needs to change is actually quite
simple: space needs to be made.
There’s still a tendency for the same people to hold onto
roles, in昀氀uence, and visibility for as long as possible. And
while that experience is valuable, it can also block the next
generation from stepping in. If younger women are coming
in with con昀椀dence and a sense of belonging, there has
to be room for them to actually progress. Otherwise, that
con昀椀dence just hits a ceiling.
We also need to rethink what “quali昀椀ed” really means.
There’s still a bias towards very speci昀椀c technical
backgrounds, when in reality, so much of this industry relies
on transferable skills. Someone who has run a store at Claire’s
or Rituals knows how to manage people, handle pressure,
deal with customers, and solve problems in real time. The
context may be different, but the core skills are exactly the
same. We just don’t always recognise that.
Another challenge is visibility. We talk a lot about women
in the industry, but when you actually look around — at
events, leadership teams, decision-making rooms — it often
doesn’t re昀氀ect that. If younger women don’t see themselves
represented, it’s much harder for that sense of belonging to
translate into something tangible.
And then there’s how we support them. It can’t just be
occasional initiatives or one-off programmes. It has to be
consistent, visible, and real. Conversations, mentorship,
opportunities to learn and contribute. Not just once a year,
but ongoing. That’s how momentum builds.
That’s where I feel I’m learning more about being myself. Less about the title and more about
the impact. Less about performing, but rather more about being useful.
83
