Arshdeep sf

I would say it's seeing what women around the world have been doing. Back in India, I was seeing some of the great women like Kalpana Chawla and the PepsiCo CEO, and I used to look up to them and see how they got to that position in the male-dominated environment. I used to hear stories from my father about how the PepsiCo CEO distributed midday meals and brought up the concept of making a biscuit for just 4 cents for a single packaging. I think my father was and is the man till this day who has always been inspiring to me. He always told me that a girl should always stand on her own feet, whether anybody gets the job or not in your siblings or your brother, but you have to get it. There's no other route - you have to stand on your own feet. That was the motto from when I was very small. I also attribute my success to the support of my family - emotionally, it would be my mother, and for challenging or goal-wise, I would say it's my father. I think parent support is very necessary for any kid to grow.

I would say that you would be in the same position after 10 years, so don't stress about it. When I look at my younger version, I would tell her don't be in fear, just go all out. You don't have to be scared from anyone in this world. Sometimes we feel that our teeth are not proper, our smile is not good, we're not looking good, but just go out, just be there in the settings. And you will be there, then you will gain confidence, and you will come to know that you belong there. You will come to know their level when you talk to them - okay, it's not difficult. So you have to be there. You have to be there in the game. Just go for it.

I still face the challenge of assimilating in the culture of America. It seems like a forced one. You are not welcomed at some places. Being an immigrant, they would be into themselves, and I don't feel welcomed, so I stopped going to those places where I'm not welcome. That's a challenge for accepting the culture as an immigrant. For opportunities in IT, I got them through my experiences and interaction with people, and I realized that I can do it. For me, there was a fear for a longer time that I cannot do it, how will I compete if I don't know this, but you have to be there, and you will learn it, you will learn it eventually. You have to, because you're getting paid for it. So you will have to learn about it. There's no way out, and you'll be able to do it.

I think human values are more important, and you have to be empathetic to the other person and understand what your main goal is collectively as a team or as an individual. People are very hesitant to tell what they are going through in their life because it can be seen as a backlash in the IT world, but getting to know your team and understanding when they don't know a concept and why - if you provide them materials or you can guide them initially, then they can work upon it. So collaboration is important. I also believe that people have to open up to each other because of how isolated everyone has become, especially after COVID. People have started staying in their own apartments, which makes them more introverted, and they don't want to interact. Even if they're not busy, they'll get depressed and watch a movie at their house rather than interacting with another person. I want to change that, because people have to open up to each other. That is the only solution.