Her Story
About Ruksana
I started my career with a dream of becoming a CPA, earning my accounting degree and looking at opportunities with the big four consulting firms as an auditor. While exploring those opportunities, a position with DHS came along that combined analytics, data science, and auditing, which felt like the perfect match. It allowed me to work not just in auditing, but in technology as well, and that intrigued me and became my entry into the analytics and data science field. Today, I work for the Defense Logistics Agency in the Department of Defense, where I serve as the AI Officer and main point of contact for all AI and analytics at DLA. I manage a team of about 100 resources, both FTEs and consultants, and our main mission is providing oversight and governance over all AI and analytics at DLA, as well as building, deploying, and sustaining AI analytics models for the enterprise. I've been in this position for about 2 years now, and what I find most rewarding is the challenge of it and the ability to influence. Every day, the job changes based on new requirements that come through, and with DLA, there is never a dull day. In the role that I am in, I get to influence the strategic direction of the organization for AI, and that's really great to have.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ruksana
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to keeping up to date with technological trends. Working in government, we often get so lost in what we're doing today and how we're doing it today, but it's important to also see where the industry is headed and what is happening in the world with the technological view. I always want to know what is new, what is coming, and I don't want to become the dinosaur in how we do our work. So I always keep up to date, regardless of if it's relevant and applicable to my current work, on where the industry's headed, where the world is headed, and keeping up to date on those skills is extremely important. That's exactly what I've done for my entire career. I'm also able to see the gaps in the work that we are doing. There are always gaps in how we're doing it, and there might be better ways of doing things using newer technology. So being able to connect the dots, learn the newer ways of doing things, newer approaches, newer applications, and being able to bring that into your current workplace is a skill that everybody should develop to be relevant at the workplace and make it more industry ready. Those are the things that actually helped me get to where I am.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, one, believe in yourself. I know people hear that a lot, but believe in yourself and invest in yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for what you feel you're worth. Sometimes we look at job postings and think, hey, I'm not qualified for this, but even if you're 50% qualified, go for it and see what happens. What's the worst that can happen? Don't rob yourself of the opportunity of not even trying. And of course, always keep up to date, always learn, always work towards what it is that you want. That's a non-negotiable.
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