Sandra Shields

First of all, my faith in God has always opened doors for me, and I've just walked through them. But it's also about being persistent. When I don't know something, I will learn it, and I will master it. That's what gives me the confidence. I've learned that if I don't like something, I'm going to learn everything there is to it, and that's how I've become where I'm at right now as a program analyst. I'm an onboarding specialist because I've learned everything you can imagine about onboarding through trial and error. I've mastered it, and now I'm the go-to person, the SME in this specific field, and they have me training someone else who comes to me for help.

Be nice to whomever you meet, because you never know that person may be your next boss. This has been so true for me. I used to work in San Diego in the corporate office in a building with a thousand people, and it never failed. There were people that I was nice to and got along with and talked to during breaks down the hallway in our coffee break room, and sure enough, my boss now was one of those women. One of my project managers now, I met her in the break room, and we just got along and were talking about how beautiful it was outside. So that's just something I tell everyone - be nice to whomever you meet because you never know, they could be your next boss or your next client.

Believe in yourself, you can do this. The experience that you have now, take it, own it, and you can grow from there. I say that because, honestly, one time I applied for a job that may have just been maybe one position above me, and I went to the interview and I saw the questions and I felt like I could not answer, and I backed out and I left. From that experience, one of the coaches I was working with told me, Sandy, you know enough right now. You could have done that job. You just didn't believe in yourself. What you know now, you know enough, and you should go for it and grow. You have the basics, and you just take on that position and you're going to grow into it. There are people there that are going to train you on the specifics of the job. You have the basics, so just believe in yourself.

The biggest challenge right now is the competition. There's a lot of competition out there. A lot of women are coming up and starting their careers, and they've got that educational background. I think you just have to continue to stand out. If you're doing a task, master it. That's what's going to help you to stand out, and I think that's where you'll find the opportunities to grow or to advance in your career. Master it, and then keep moving forward.

Being committed to your work and being passionate about what you do are most important to me. I love to work with other people who are passionate about their work and not just earning a paycheck, because it really makes teamwork great. When someone's passionate about their work, they provide positive feedback, they're constructive, and they're full of ideas. Being confident is also crucial. One of my bosses told me, Sandy, you own your position, own it. I took that to heart and became a senior administrative assistant because I just led. I led the team of five women, and I owned it. I've always been one who anticipates needs before we're even asked. That's what I like to see in others, in myself, and in my personal life. I like to be prepared. If I know something's coming, I prepare ahead of time for it, and that way I can get through it and not be shocked or surprised or devastated, but at least I'm prepared for it.