Caterpillar to Butterfly: 5 Things I learned in 5 Years of Corporate

    I remember walking from my hotel to the office five years ago. I could not stop smiling at the things I was seeing. I also could not stop feeling the anxiety in the pit of my stomach. It was my first day of office, my first day of adult life. I took the first step towards being an independent woman.

    I had big dreams when I left Nagpur. None of my dreams came true. Some dreams shattered like glass, for others I got more than I asked for. One day, I was full of hope that I will change the world. The next day, I would be in self-doubt about even making it past the probation period. That was 5 years ago.

    Today, as I write this, I am amazed at my journey. And, honestly, a little tearful. I have a hard time recognizing myself in photos from years ago. I can recall exactly what I used to think. I cringe at my naivety. I am also proud of everything that I have done so far. I would not change anything that led to me this point, including the failures. Because failures are the right amount of success. All my failures are the reason I am here.

    Every year, I would have this moment of self-contemplation. One random thought that would capture the essence of my entire year. Earlier, this year, I had the thought of putting it all together. To capture my journey of transformation, from a Caterpillar to a Butterfly.

Year 1 - Asking Questions

    It is intimidating when you first start working. You assume what the company expects from you and what you are supposed to do. And you decide that you are not fulfilling your role. There is a lot to learn as a fresh graduate. There are things like professional behavior, company history, corporate jargon, responsibilities, project deadlines, etc. To be honest, it is overwhelming. Things get lost in translation and you get lost on what are the next steps.

    The best thing that you can do is ask questions. There are no wrong or dumb questions. When you ask questions, you are helping yourself and the other person. You should never assume things and turn in the wrong work item. By asking questions, you remind other people to show you the path, rather than the destination. It is a win-win situation.

Year 2 - Perspectives

    Remember high school Physics, ideal gas equation? How theoretically has it made perfect sense, yet there is no ideal gas that exists in the world so far?

    When you sit in an air-conditioned office and give work directions to folks working offshore, you are missing something. That something is perspective. When I visited the offshore platforms for 6 weeks, it changed how I provided them with solutions. Early in the career, developing a perspective from the unknown side is crucial. There is so much you don't know and this is one small step to learn more.

Year 3 - I am glad I did it

    I shared my thoughts on this 2 years ago in a write-up on LinkedIn. I have done many more scary things since then. I left my well-settled life in India and moved halfway across the world. I questioned my decision every day until I got to visit the Redwoods National Forest. It is my favorite place in the world. Quite literally.

    From never having sat in the driver's seat, to taking 3 driving lessons and getting the license from 2 countries, it was one of the scariest things I have ever done. Last year, I went on a 2200-mile solo road trip and enjoyed it.

    I am glad I did it!

Year 4 - Networking

    After the announcement of my move to the US, a lot of folks reached out to me. Some were new, some who I had not connected with in years and everyone wanted to meet. I created a list of people I had to meet. Every week, I would have one person for lunch and one for coffee. Six months later, my list was still ongoing. I realized that networking was one of my strengths.

This network of mine has helped me tremendously. 

    There are so many things that I am grateful for to them. They helped me settle in my house, drove me around when I did not have a car, gave me free furniture, and showed me so much love. I would have been lost if not for these amazing people. To return the favor, I have been helping those who moved after me.

Year 5 - Live Without Limits

    This is the tagline for the 2023 SWE Conference. This is aptly, also the tagline for my life currently. I have explored things beyond my wildest imagination, personally and professionally too. There is no upper bound to the things you can achieve. There is a goal beyond the goal. I had only dreamed of a career until 5 years after I graduated. Now, I don't want to stop. I know there are more things that I can accomplish, more roles I can take on.

    As an expat, I have had the opportunity of a lifetime. New cultures, new experiences, new cities, new people - they all fascinate me every single time.

    I had not imagined this five years ago, nor do I know where I will be in the next 5 years. I know I will be learning more things and having fun. I will be sure to capture more of my self-realization. I am excited and anxious about the experiences that lay ahead of me.