Her Story
About Sushmitha
At my bachelor's, I completed doing electronics and communication. But then I realized, more than electronics, I was more into business development and analytics, so I chose a career in consulting, and that was my first job where I worked for almost 3.5 years back in India. And at that point in time, I realized, well, hard skills are great, but soft skills are what takes you to places. And I've been again, while working, looking at courses, networking, talking to people about how do I shepherd my growth and career. And realized, why not blend tech with soft skills along with business acumen. And that's how I landed at my university, Duke, in North Carolina. I did my engineering management program.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sushmitha
01What do you attribute your success to?
Three things: family support and their push to be a better version of myself, continuous learning even after degrees through courses and conversations, and intrinsic motivation to be passionate and strive towards goals.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Follow your instincts about what you like doing and pursue that rather than what others say will be future-proof or guarantee a job. I learned this the hard way after pursuing electronics because it seemed practical but lacked passion.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Uncertainty due to AI impacting traditional roles. Everyone needs to lend a hand and look out for each other in these ambiguous times.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, meaning knowing what you're doing is the right thing, not going against the law or policies, and listening to your inner voice.
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