Her Story
About Ankita
I've always enjoyed problem solving and working with different people, and those two aspects really come together in my role as a Technical Success Account Manager at Google, where I've been for 5 years. I meet different levels of people, from VP and C-level to engineers and staff, and solve for multiple problems, whether technical or business-related. It just keeps me on my toes and helps me grow. Before Google, I spent 3 years with Accenture and 7 years with Deloitte Consulting, working with Fortune 500 customers who were looking to navigate through their business challenges and leverage technology to meet their objectives. I've always been on the cusp of business, technology, IT, and impact, trying to bring all those things together through my work. Now I'm doing something similar with Google Cloud, one of the fastest-growing cloud providers out there. My role is primarily as the voice of the customer and a trusted advisor. I help our customers scale, adopt, and use the most of Google Cloud products and services. I work to alleviate their technical blockers or adoption blockers in terms of training and enablement. I'm also like a glue between the customer teams and our product and engineering teams. If there are certain technical features that are not available in the service, I can be an advocate for my customer and talk to product and engineering to get that added to the roadmap. I'm also a champion for women in tech and for my broader community here in Chicago, making sure that we are onboarding and mentoring new Googlers and fellow community members to scale the good work all across.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ankita
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it's a very interesting phase to be in. AI is making jobs easier, tougher, nobody knows, it's hard to predict, but I would say that all the basic things are important. Stay curious. Learning is a journey. Don't be bogged down by 'oh, this is not working out,' but really think about doing even the smallest of the tasks that you get at your first job or your part-time job the best. Try to, again, I think relationships are very important along the way, in terms of finding those informal mentors, or finding friends, or partners or family members who you really resonate well with, because you will feel lonely along this way a lot of times. But I think if you have a support system, I kind of call them your board of directors, like people who can really help you navigate certain situations, especially a situation where nobody knows what is going to happen in our jobs, I think it's very important. So just stay connected with people who really, truly understand your skill set, who understand what you do well, and also some people you look up to who can advise and talk a little bit more about what the future holds.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I want to grow and learn. I know it might seem really broad and vague, but I don't want to chase titles or levels, and I don't think that will bring me joy and satisfaction, more than just being in a position where I'm learning and growing and able to do my best. That really motivates me, rather than a level. I think learning is so important. It's a major skill set, and I think we all need to try a better job of listening and learning from each other in this time of AI. I think relationships are very important along the way. Stay curious. I think doing even the smallest of tasks the best is important. I try to stay grounded and consume information through podcasts, reading articles, and asking questions to stay curious.
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