Her Story
About Swathika
I'm the first person from my family to enter college, coming from a small village called Sora Gate in India. Twenty years ago, I started my career as an IT professional and developer. It was really hard for me to convince my parents to go out of town and work in a professional industry, especially coming from a place dominated by men with many stereotypes. But I took that challenge and bet on myself. Throughout my 20-year journey, I received incredible support from my colleagues and co-workers, even more than from my family, though my parents trusted me enough to let me explore. I moved from developer to tech lead, and eventually came to the U.S. where I now work as a principal solution architect at a Fortune 500 company. My greatest accomplishment came after my second maternity when people doubted whether I could handle the workload with two kids. My manager trusted me and gave me the opportunity, and I proved myself by not only managing one project but taking on all new projects, new initiatives, and technical advancement work. I have a wonderful spouse who supports me more than I do for myself, and together we're raising our small kids while I pursue my goal of reaching a leadership position in the next five years. I love challenges and solving problems, which is why I chose to stay on the technical side rather than moving into pure management. For me, it's like solving a puzzle in the best way, and I stay curious about learning new things.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Swathika
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
For younger women, I would say just be curious, just be flexible enough to challenge yourself and push yourself throughout this journey. There has been talk that it's more for men who can handle the stress, but I don't think so. I think women will make better decisions and do better work than men. For young women, I would say just keep your curiosity and put your work in, it'll pay off.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say sharing my story will influence someone. I've been inspired by other women, and I've been pushing myself to be a better person, reading all the stories. I just feel like someone reading my story will be inspired, and even if it adds some level of confidence in them, some level of boost in them, I would be happy. That's what matters most to me - being able to give back that inspiration and confidence to others the way other women's stories have helped me grow.
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