5 Questions with Maryam Shafiq
Manager, Facebook
Maryam Shafiq (she/her) leads the Community Operations Escalations team at Facebook, Dublin. With a background in Finance, Data Analytics, and Operations, she made the jump to become a people manager last year, which she thoroughly enjoys.
A Karachi native (Pakistan), her most memorable experience was volunteering as a math teacher in an orphanage, and later at a school for blind children. Her journey has so far taken her to Istanbul, for her MBA and a role at Coca-Cola, Munich and London for Amazon, and then Dublin to work for Facebook.
In her spare time, she enjoys the delightful live music scene in Dublin, cooking up wild cumin- and chili-based recipes (she misses the spicy food tremendously), hiking, and occasionally surfing.
1. Where’s your hometown?
Karachi, Pakistan.
2. How did you get into STEM?
An interest in science has followed me since elementary school. My father is a software engineer and a physics enthusiast. I am a math and physics lover, too; however, due to limited career opportunities in pure sciences in Pakistan, I pursued a business degree instead.
Little did I know that my MBA degree and finance experience would help me gravitate towards STEM again. At the Finance and Analytics division in Amazon Prime video, I had the opportunity to teach myself querying languages, which planted the seeds for a whole host of new learning and career opportunities, of which I am now savoring the fruits.
3. What is a piece of advice that you have found especially useful?
Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable! You don’t need to know everything from the get-go. Allow yourself opportunities to learn and improve. I’ve found it amazing to see how much potential one unlocks when leaving comfortable places and instead pushing towards the next level.
4. What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you deal with it?
Getting a sponsored work visa at the start of my career abroad.
Having Pakistani citizenship makes it difficult to land a job abroad, since you need an employer to sponsor a special work visa in most countries, and quite often your application is filtered out as a result.
At the time of graduation, it was disheartening when my CV and grades were at par with, or even above, that of my peers who were locals, but they kept getting multiple offers, while I had a host of rejections in my email inbox. I mastered the art of scanning LinkedIn for new roles every morning, connecting with possible hiring managers. At the same time, I took additional courses and internships to enhance my skillset for a competitive edge. There was no shortage of self-doubt, but the key was to keep going. Every disappointment led to a new wave of motivation, and that persistence definitely paid off. I am very happy that large tech companies like Facebook do not filter candidates based on nationality. As a manager, I can see firsthand how we at Facebook strive to be diverse and inclusive in our recruitment, which makes me proud to work here.
5. What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?
Defying cultural expectations and moving abroad for my education and career, with very little finances available.
Moving to Turkey was daunting at first, as I didn’t know anyone there, nor did I or my family know anyone with a similar experience. I still remember crying endlessly on the couch the night before my flight. A part of me wanted to take up the challenge full of uncertainties, but I was also incredibly scared of my life falling apart.
I took a leap, and it’s only been a forward journey since. My parents and my sister have been my biggest cheerleaders and sources of support. I am blessed in having them, especially since Pakistani society at large is still not very accepting of women charting their own course, moving abroad, and making their own career choices.
