Fatima Gaskin

My motivation is to be what I felt I didn't have - having a mentor, someone who's dedicated to my success. Every time I would take someone under my wing, I would give them 1000%, because I know what it's like for somebody to just say it in words but you learn nothing. I wanted to be what I felt like I didn't receive. What kept me going, what was like the northern star, was literally the things that my parents said - always have faith. Sometimes you're not gonna see the path, but just a little bit every day, just a little bit of discipline, being consistent, and doing what you're trying to work towards every day, you will get it. It may take longer, it may come shorter, but you will get it. And then education is always key. It's not necessarily the smartest person who's gonna be the one that gets the awards or the most popular. You have to understand how to use your education to your advantage. They told us this since we were super young, and I've never forgotten.

The best career advice I've received is that comparison is the thief of joy. Also, if you really believe in it, don't accept no for an answer. There were so many times I got told no - when I was an electronics technician about 6 to 8 years into the Navy, I knew that job was not tailored to what were my strengths. I knew I could be excellent being in IT, but the Navy was so short and undermanned in electronics technicians, they would not let me convert to anything else. I had to be creative. I tried to cross-rate to a cryptological technician, they said no. I tried to transfer over into another field, they said no. Then they were letting enlisted women on submarines, and I applied for that and made it. I got told no 3, 4, 5 times, and even when I made the decision, so many people tried to talk me out of it - don't join submarines, those people are weird, you're sabotaging your career. But if you believe in it, some people won't necessarily see the vision. Don't let people discourage you from what you feel is the right way, and also surround yourself with people who are encouraging and not tearing down. The further I tried to get with my focus, the more I saw the circle I had surrounded myself with previously didn't understand this. The advice they were telling me was incorrect, so I had to find my people. I found the other women doing this, and as I surrounded myself with them, their advice was more pertinent, more on point. Don't compare your journey - your best friend might have got promoted before you, but you might be meant for something else.

Don't be afraid to take a chance. Sometimes folks talk themselves out of things - that could never be me, or I'd never be good at doing something - and they're already discounting themselves before they take a chance. Sure, you may fail at some stuff. Or I should say, don't be afraid of failure, because you can learn something every time. As much as I have succeeded in these multi-domain environments, I have failed just as much. I try to learn from that failure, so it really just becomes in my memory as that was the time when I had room for improvement, and this is what it was, and this is how I changed that. So, don't be afraid of failure.

Some of the biggest challenges right now is that AI is everywhere. Companies are looking to make their processes more efficient, they want to automate. And if you are not coming with a background of how to answer that question in advance, they may pass on you. It's in almost every interview question in some form or fashion about what is your background with AI, how are you using these tools, and what value can you bring to the company with it. That is one of the largest gaps. Not everybody is technically savvy, or they know anything about large language models or vibe coding. But you can always break it down into small, digestible steps. I just finished a 4-block program, and one of the organizations that came on there, there was a lady who's not necessarily the most technical of things, but she knew how to make the most efficient prompts for AI to get you a result that people pay huge money for. That's what organizations are looking for right now - people who are not scared of AI. There's so many different layers on how you can use the AI that's out there, or how to make things efficient, or processes move smoother that saves companies money.

Integrity is one of the top ones - meaning what you say and doing what it is that you say. Not just preaching a certain type of way, like oh yeah I believe in being honest, and then you turn around and you're just lying. Having some form of accountability, like transparency and accountability - I'm holding myself to this standard, and also I expect this of you. Treating everybody with dignity and respect is also critical. It doesn't matter what you look like, where you come from, what your background is, who your parents are - treating everyone with dignity and respect. I've had to grow into that, and being on the other side where people look at you and you might be the only one, or one of few, working in male-dominated environments where they may not feel like you have anything to offer of value. Give me a chance - if you just let me say something. Sometimes asking for permission, you have to ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Oftentimes, being in a male-dominated environment, I had to do what I was gonna do anyway and let my actions speak for myself.