How Identity Has Influenced a Product Manager at Bukuwarung's Career
Garima's experience as a woman in a male-dominated engineering field initially led to immense self-imposed pressure: "I have to make sure that I do something great and I cannot fault at all," a mindset they later abandoned. This pivotal shift, toward focusing on personal interest and growth rather than proving a point, ultimately led to greater success and a more fulfilling career.
Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Career Development, Women in Technology, Motivation
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Garima Yadav
Product Manager
Bukuwarung
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India (graduated in 2017)
UCLA Anderson School of Management (Full Time MBA, current student)
Engineering - Electrical
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
International Student
Video Highlights
1. Garima initially felt pressure to prove herself as a woman in a male-dominated tech field, but later realized this was unsustainable.
2. She made a career pivot to a field she enjoyed, which significantly improved her performance and well-being.
3. She advises others to prioritize their interests and avoid the burden of representing an entire group, focusing instead on personal growth and accepting failures as learning opportunities.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman, how has that impacted you and how have you navigated your career?
When making career decisions, I've usually followed my interests. However, during university, I realized I was a minority in my engineering program. I was part of the 20%, while the other 80% were men.
This realization brought an identity to the forefront that I hadn't considered before: "I am a woman in tech." This identity stuck with me, and for a few years, I made it my mission to prove myself in this industry. I put a lot of pressure on myself, feeling I had to succeed for all women in tech.
I believed I couldn't make mistakes, as doing so would reflect poorly on all women in the field. I think I was giving myself too much importance and approaching the concept of women being a minority in tech from a completely different angle.
Over time, I realized this strategy wouldn't work. I was bound to make mistakes, and I couldn't constantly carry that amount of performance pressure. That's when I decided I would simply do what I enjoyed. It wouldn't matter if it proved me right or wrong in a certain skill set, or if it proved stereotypes true or false. I decided I didn't want to carry that responsibility.
I just wanted to do something that I liked. This led to my first pivot from the test measurement industry to a creative design automation startup. I believe it was the best decision I made, as it freed me from the notion of preserving the name of a certain group.
I simply did what I liked, focusing on learning and self-improvement as a professional. I concentrated on making myself better and became comfortable with the idea of sometimes failing. This was pivotal; it changed my mindset.
In hindsight, I think that's when I truly started doing well. That's when I identified my strengths and realized that by leveraging them, I could make a difference.
My suggestion, though I don't feel I'm in a position to give advice, is for anyone stuck in this loop to try this out. Step out of that cycle and free yourself from the need to prove a point. It's incredibly liberating and relaxing to work with that kind of mindset.