Her Story
About Nina
I work in the human resources department for New York State Tax and Finance, where responsibilities can change day to day. Not so much the responsibilities themselves, but the tasks that are assigned - things come up, things can take precedence. Working for a state government, sometimes there's different orders that come down from the governor above, so things can change with that. Different things have to be tracked and reviewed, so it's very fluid and very interesting in that sense. My day mainly involves seeing what reports and tasks are needed. The regulations and rules in state government are very specific - because it's the public sector, everything you do is reviewed by at least 4 more management teams above you. There's a lot of civil service laws and everything that you have to abide by, so just learning all those rules can be challenging. I work hybrid now, which is a nice balance.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it would be to my good work ethic that I got from my parents and my siblings. Like, all of us, you won't find any of us sitting around doing nothing at any given time. We all just grind it out and work for as long as I can remember. Growing up, sometimes my mom had 2 jobs, my dad had 3. We all just hustle. So I think just having a good work ethic lets all your bosses and management know that you're gonna come to work, and you're gonna work. You're not gonna squander their time, or waste anybody's time or resources.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Probably just to keep learning and keep looking for promotional opportunities, not to be stagnant.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To just go for it, and to know that a lot of the directors in my department are female. There's more females than male directors at the top, so yeah, we could take it by storm, so let's do it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are probably the regulations and the rules, specifically in state government. Because it's the public sector, everything you do is reviewed by at least 4 more management teams above you, so it's a lot to learn. There's a lot of civil service laws and everything that you have to abide by, so just learning all those rules can be challenging.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Definitely honesty and commitment. Because if you could be reliable, then you're gonna have so many more opportunities come your way, and more trust by more people. A good reputation will be built around you so that you're gonna be invited to places that maybe someone else who doesn't have such good work character would be invited to.
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