The Path Less Traveled
How this Microsoft Engineer’s Non-Linear Career Inspired a Passion for Advocacy
Farah Khurrum proudly states that she has two career paths.
The first one is what you see at the top of her resume. She is currently a software developer with Microsoft, supporting Azure’s cloud computing service. She works to not only help users solve problems faster, but also target problems before the user even sees them. Utilizing diagnostics and other insights, she is proud of the work she does reducing problem-solving time for her customers. Not only does it require technical coding skills, but also a lot of care and empathy for their experience.
Although she was raised in Pakistan, where science and technology are not always easily accessible for women, Farah was lucky enough to attend a middle school that offered a computer science class. Struggling with a chronic pain condition and growing up in a family with few resources, Farah was no stranger to adversity. Computer science allowed her to focus on something positive and feel in control of her own life.
“I think that’s why I loved computer science. I was not aware of how to make my life predictable, but I could make code predictable.”
Farah received a scholarship from a generous anonymous donor, allowing her to pursue a degree in Computer Science at the FAST National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences in Pakistan.
Like many, Farah’s career path was not linear. After completing her undergraduate program, also as a new mother and wife, she chose to follow her heart and put her STEM pursuits on hold. She stayed home to raise her two boys and attend night school at the University of British Columbia to earn a second degree in Accounting. With the intention of paying it forward for all the support she received along the way, Farah also spent time volunteering to teach computer science to 3rd through 5th-grade girls.
“I want my boys to know what kind of person their mother is, and the life she chose to live. It’s about helping others, and being happy with the life you choose.”
Once her boys reached middle school, after a 13-year career break, Farah decided to re-enter the workforce. During her transition, she found many allies that helped her prepare for interviews, referred her to jobs, and mentored her until she received a full-time role at Microsoft. The culture was the perfect fit for Farah, offering great work-life balance to support working parents.
As a Pakistani woman living with a disability and rejoining the STEM workforce after a long break, Farah related well to the diverse challenges that other employees face in their professional journeys. As such, the second career path Farah describes is her work within Microsoft as an advocate for diversity and inclusion. She joined Microsoft’s diversity and inclusion and disability resource groups with the goal of becoming a vocal educator about the resources available to employees in situations similar to her own. Farah hopes to create more awareness around the issues affecting women at work, and ultimately encourage the creation of more company policies supporting a diverse workforce.
With plans to continue paying it forward, Farah reflects on how many people helped her get to where she is today. She encourages other women looking to re-enter the workforce to stay persistent and lean on their allies.
“As with anything, there are people who think it’s hard to re-enter the workforce and try to save you from all the trouble. But if you stay focused on the positive, work hard, persevere, and find good support…you will shine through.”
This story was written by Laurel Kremer, Wogrammer Journalism Fellow. Connect with her on LinkedIn
