A Mother in Tech
Two years ago, while I was working at LinkedIn in Bangalore, I was presented with an opportunity to interview for another position at LinkedIn — in Sunnyvale, California. My first thought was “That sounds amazing! But...”
Although it sounded like a great opportunity, I was 8 months into a risky pregnancy. I would need to relocate to a new country with a newborn. I would miss my family and friends. My husband would need to change jobs. I felt afraid. Everything in my personal and professional life would change. Everything.
At the time, I was actually considering taking a break from working after my pregnancy, so this would be a radical departure from my plan. It seemed like a clear decision — No. Yet, I felt conflicted. Somehow I still felt in my heart I should apply for this. I decided to ask my mentor, who herself worked at the Sunnyvale office. I told her all of my doubts, then she motivated and encouraged me.
When I discussed the same with my husband, he could see my fear and excitement, and he too pushed me to apply. He promised to support me in every way possible to ease the transition and I could see he meant it. I took a deep breath and submitted my resume. I knew that even though I’d been invited to apply, I would still have to work hard if I wanted this opportunity. So instead of reading what to expect books, I read “How to crack the coding interview”. I also read Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In. Instead of spending my time on firstcry.com, I surfed geeksforgeeks.org and had my interview. I reminded myself of my love for technology that began the first time I saw an ATM machine. I had always dreamed of visiting Silicon Valley. I was still afraid of the outcome, but I was determined!
Within six months, I was boarding a plane to California with my husband and 4 month old son. He quit his job in India to stay at home to take care of him. If it wasn’t for his unwavering support, my mentor’s encouragement, and all the women who shared their stories of how they could make it, I might have decided to stay where I was.
Even though I’d accepted the role, even though the ticket was in my hand, I was still afraid of change. How would I manage to be a mom and learn all these new responsibilities? What would life be like for our family? But, once we were settled (new home, new job, new life), I saw that change was not so bad. I felt happy, fulfilled and excited to go to work.
One year into my new job, I had another opportunity to grow my career from Test Engineer to Software Engineer. I decided to embrace another change.
LinkedIn has truly transformed my life and I am so lucky to be part of a company which truly believes in giving employees possibilities to grow.
Looking back on these last few years, when I feared everything would change, I was right. Everything did change. This new career and country is not without its challenges. It is tough to leave my son at day care and sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I had chosen to take a break from work. But I did not choose that outcome, I chose instead to invest in my career. I realized how important it was for me to work in technology, because it’s my passion. Everyday I go to work thinking “Give your best shot at what you are about to do today. It should make up for the time you spend away from your son. Create something for a better world!”
So if you are thinking of changing jobs, relocating to a new country or changing your focus all while being a mom, my advice is to try. It could change everything!
#Leanintogether #motherintech #initforloveofcoding #LeanIn #LeanInWiTI
