My First Year in the “Real World” (and at Propeller)
Everyone always jokes about how “young adults” don’t know what the real world is like until they enter the professional workforce. Despite being out of college for over a year now and working at Propeller for the same duration, I STILL don’t feel like an adult! I pay taxes and my bills, have mild back pain when I don’t move enough, and sometimes people think I look like an adult, but I still find myself questioning my capabilities, knowledge, and place at Propeller.
I mean, how could I not? Only a year ago, I was finishing my thesis (up until the deadline) and preparing for graduation! I had flown drones and processed drone images a handful of times, but all under the supervision of my professors. Despite being exposed to this field in college, I knew that I was going into my role at Propeller as a Geospatial Production Engineer on the Data Success Team with limited professional experience. I also struggled with fears about blatantly not fitting in as a young woman of color entering a male-dominated industry.
My initial weeks at Propeller were a whirlwind of company events, meeting new people, learning how the company runs, and asking a million questions. I was introduced to brilliant minds across data success, marketing, data engineering, and hardware support to name a few. Although I loved learning about the company, it only continued to solidify my fears of not fitting in and it made me question whether I belonged.
I felt way too young to be working at Propeller and it seemed like everyone else knew exactly what they were doing. Additionally, I felt out of place since the office did not seem to have many people who identified similarly to me. Since I am a young, Asian woman, I worried that I would stand out among my co-workers and not be seen as equal due to my age and race. Additionally, I worried that others would not see me as capable and that I would never get to a point where I felt confident in my skills, abilities, and place within the company.
Looking back, one of the highlights of my onboarding was being trained by my team members in the US and the Philippines. All of my team members were so welcoming and helpful. I learned all about how to process drone imagery, troubleshoot problems that arise, and the important role that Data Success has at Propeller. By the end of my second week, I was independently processing data. Everyone at Propeller was open to my many questions and even encouraged me to continue asking them. Even now, I still ask a ton of questions!
At the end of my first week of work, I stepped out of my comfort zone socially and went on a hike with the VP of Marketing and two co-workers from Australia who were visiting the Denver office. I was surprised by how welcoming everyone was to having a “newbie” join in the fun.
I also got to start the same month as Fly Day, where the hardware team takes employees out to fly the same drones that our customers use. I hadn’t flown a drone in over a year but they still let me take them out for a spin!
The experiences I had during onboarding were amazing, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling of imposter syndrome. My biggest turning point was going to a company off-site in Vietnam! I was literally boarding a plane to Asia less than a year after I started working at Propeller. During the retreat, I noticed that my fears of not fitting in and not being “qualified” enough had started to fade. I met my co-workers from across the world and got to see how diverse Propeller is.
Everyone has had different personal and professional experiences and Propeller really values that. As I got to know more co-workers and shared my honest feelings with them, I learned that many of them could relate to my worries about not belonging and not being qualified enough. I naively thought that things like being older and having more work experience instantly equated to never having imposter syndrome.
Along with building relationships with co-workers, I found a place as the Denver Chair on Propeller’s Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (JDEI) Council. The council has given me a community and space to contribute to Propeller’s values and work with passionate individuals who want to see Propeller learn and grow in the space of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Being able to help coordinate and cook for Propeller’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Office Lunch was a really proud moment for me. I had wrapped about 150 wontons for my co-workers and felt like I was making a positive impact on the company. After the event ran smoothly, I finally felt like a “real adult”.
It has been a work in progress, but over the last year, I have been able to embrace and expand my skills, build relationships with co-workers, reach accomplishments within my role, and find a place within the JDEI Council! I now realize that being a young woman of color in this field is not my weakness, it is a strength that I want to continue highlighting in my professional life. As I reflect on my first year in the “real world” and at Propeller, I am able to move into my next year at Propeller with more confidence in my experiences, abilities, sense of belonging, and my “adult-ness”.
