Andrea Akins

I definitely attribute my success to the support of my husband and my daughter. Watching her and knowing that I want her to see me and be proud of me drives me to take on challenges, work hard, stay humble, and be kind. I've always taught her to be positive, and even going through layoffs, I stayed positive because I know good things are to come. My parents, who both passed away in 2019 back to back (my mom while I was pregnant with my daughter, and my dad three months later), are always with me. Throughout my younger career, they were the people I would go to and tell about my accomplishments, and they were proud of me. I know they're still there for me, and I'm always thinking about what they encouraged me to do my whole life and how they made sure I had the best education. I'm carrying on their legacy, and my daughter is my legacy, so we're continuing that forward.

The best career advice I ever received was about networking. I was always a shy person, but I was pushed in my career to open up and network everywhere I go, leaving a good impression. This has worked incredibly well for me. I've networked so much throughout my career and gotten so many great references that I've left a mark on people. Because of that strong network, even when I've encountered layoffs in my field, I was able to reach out to my network, and they were always there for me. I was able to land jobs pretty fast after layoffs. Building that network and finding mentors has been so important. If I didn't have those mentors and that network, I don't know where I would be. Right now, even after another layoff, I have those people I've networked with, including people I met at my last company. I'm building that network continuously, and I think that's the most important thing. That's what I'm going to pass on to my daughter too - get out there, network, find those mentors, build references, and always stay connected to them as you go through your career.

My advice to young women entering this field is to be patient, absorb, and learn. Keep on learning and do not give up. Keep building your skills no matter what, whether it's training or something new, just keep adding to those skills. Networking is important too - start networking when you're young and find mentors who are going to help and guide you. Ask lots of questions, because no question is a dumb question. When you're young in your career, if there are extra projects or things you could do at your job, go ahead and join them. Try and be a part of them. When you're young and don't have family responsibilities like I do now being married with a family, you can jump into those extra opportunities. Maybe it's in another department where you can learn something else and develop a different skill. Those experiences will really benefit you.

The biggest challenge right now is that things are changing in this world, and AI is a major factor. You've got to know AI because you're coming across AI-first companies, so you've got to get on top of it. At my last company, I definitely started to really dive into it. I come from an industry where I did everything on my own, but coming into a company where they literally want you to go AI first and head in, it's different. That's a big challenge, but you've definitely just got to get in there and learn.

In my personal life, the most important values are definitely God, my faith, and family. In my work life, I value having an atmosphere that is positive and lets you really explore and grow. I believe in working in an environment that encourages you to be the best version of yourself.