Anushka is a highschooler (in 2020). She wrote the book, “To The Top – Anyone Can Do this“, and says, “by simply sharing stories of such successful women with a wide variety of backgrounds and journeys would help girls and women clearly see that journeys to tech and success can come from very different starting points, very different paths and every some choices that may look odd on the surfaces but are all very valid ways of reaching a goal or a dream.”

Anushka is sure to go to the top – can’t wait to see her journey!

Here are a couple of questions from the story and my answers:

What do you consider your greatest strength? Do you feel that was a natural one or did you work on acquiring it over time?

I was born an optimist. I am also someone who believes strongly that each of us is unique.  I acquired the skill to be open and flexible over my lifetime because I could see it helped me to do the things I wanted to do.

What’s one piece of advice you would give someone career wise?

Career is not a straight line. Be prepared for twists and turns, keep an open mind, be flexible, and pursue what is right for you with tenacity.

What is your advice for people who want to help girls and women in their careers in how to be effective as allies?

Male mentors can contribute in many different ways to women’s self-empowerment. Many enterprises are still lacking in women’s presence. Often, the only mentors available are men in leadership positions. These men can provide valuable mentorship in career management and personal development. They can motivate women to take on challenging roles, and treat a mentee the same, irrespective of gender. A manager’s treatment of his woman-subordinate makes a tremendous difference in a woman’s career and self-empowerment. It is a manager’s responsibility to give both genders equal treatment in terms of praise for a job well done, performance reviews, and compensation. A good manager will guide the career of a woman in his team, and give equal opportunity for advancing.  He will identify gaps in skills, and provide training to fill those gaps. A male co-worker can be a valuable ally to women at work.  It is important the men listen actively to what women have to say and not shut them off.  It is also important to acknowledge good ideas from women and give them due credit for the same. If they see a colleague treat women badly, they should have the courage to speak up, have a conversation, and if needed, talk to the human resources about it. Often women are the worst critics of other women. Instead of being critical, go out of your way to be supportive of women – celebrating successes, pulling up those in the hierarchy under you, and seeing each woman as a unique human with her own unique POV, strengths, and weaknesses.

Here are Anushka’s takeaway from my story:

Thank you, Anushka!