How Identity Has Influenced a Senior Program Manager at Deliverr's Career
Nicholas's Asian American identity significantly shaped their career journey, initially influencing relationship building with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Through experiences working globally, they developed empathy and self-awareness, acknowledging both positive and negative impacts while emphasizing that "it was like a positive part of like my own self-discovery," ultimately contributing to professional growth and a more grounded perspective.
Project Management, Communication, Cross-Cultural Collaboration, Self-Discovery, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nicholas Fong
Senior Program Manager
Deliverr
UC Merced, 2014
None
Economics
Technology
Strategic Management and Executive
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Emphasizes the importance of relationship building and cross-cultural communication in a global business environment.
2. Highlights the evolution of perspective, from initial assumptions to greater empathy and understanding of diverse work styles.
3. Showcases how navigating cross-cultural interactions contributed to self-discovery and professional growth, resulting in a more grounded and centered approach to work.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as Asian American, how has that impacted how you navigate your career?
In certain contexts, I've become more aware of relationships, especially building them with people who haven't had as much experience working with Asians or Asian Americans. It's easy to see things as black and white when you're younger and earlier in your career.
However, the more time I spent in different environments, the more I came to empathize with different people. For my business, I worked with people all over the world, in Europe, China, and other parts of Asia, as well as across the United States. This was especially true as the company was launching.
Many times, it affected the way I would do business with people. Other times, it was a new learning experience for both sides. All in all, it was a positive part of my own self-discovery as a young adult.
It helped me grow up and figure out who I was. It helped me become more grounded and centered. There were certain experiences that were really positive out of that, and I met some of the nicest people.
I was able to identify with them as an Asian American, but there were also some negative experiences. I think all of those experiences are part of the learning process.