How Identity Has Influenced a Software Engineering Manager at Biotechnology Company's Career
Initially, a hearing impairment caused concern about navigating a career requiring constant communication, prompting a worry about "constantly be[ing] tentative about listening and communicating". However, the individual realized the necessity of proactive communication, advocating for "the right tools" and transparently sharing communication needs with teams and recruiters to successfully advance their career.
Communication, Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Problem-Solving, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Danny Tran
Manager, Software Engineering
Biotechnology Company
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
John Hopkins University - Bioinformatics M.S.
Biology & Related Sciences
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Proactive Communication: Danny emphasizes the importance of openly communicating his hearing impairment to teams and recruiters. This transparency allows for better understanding and facilitates the implementation of appropriate communication strategies.
2. Technological Aids: Danny highlights the crucial role of assistive technologies, such as hearing aids, in mitigating communication challenges and enabling career advancement.
3. Persistence and Self-Advocacy: Danny's experience underscores the need for persistence and self-advocacy. He stresses that acknowledging the challenges while focusing on finding solutions and effective communication methods is crucial for career success despite hearing impairment.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as Heart of Hering, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
A lot of times, it made me think about getting jobs where I didn't have to be tentative about listening and communicating. I worried about jobs where I'd constantly need to be cautious in those areas.
But I realized over time that it's just going to be a continuous struggle. Even though I am hard of hearing, you just have to find the right tools.
Invest in hearing aids and such, and find ways to communicate that work best for you. It's really difficult to get far if you let the hearing impairment get to you.
So if you think that you can't hear, tell the team, tell the recruiter, tell everyone that this is your struggle. Explain how you communicate best and make sure everyone knows that this is your optimal form of communication.
This ensures everyone realizes that you have a hard-of-hearing disability. With the right tools, you can advance your career.
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