Tech & Innovation Blog

Jyotsna M. Speaker GHC 2019; 12th year at ADP | Lead Product Manager – Security, Access and Identity Management, Global Products and Technology

It gives me great joy to write my first article and dedicate it to the amazing Grace Hopper Celebration 2019 in Orlando, Florida. Wow, 25,000 attendees and very well organized and executed, congrats to all.

Speaking at#GHC19 was a priceless experience! It was truly an honor to be accepted to speak at GHC. Thoroughly enjoyed and loved the amazing experience speaking at #GHC19 at CR222: Designing a Happy Career and Loving your Work at the Hyatt Orlando Ballroom L.

I am feeling very blessed to have had this opportunity to make an impact on the career growth for success and happiness of 400 women and so many more through this session. Thank you #AnitaB.

Heard of Buy One Get One Free? That’s it — First-time speaker and first-time attendee… super cool and a blessing to remember and reflect on the opportunity. There is an unwritten rule, rightfully so, to be aware of the great responsibility that I have been given to share, inspire, and empower our attendees, mostly women and students, to pursue their career aspirations and find areas to grow in the landscape of AI, robot, and robotic process automation.

“Keep learning, keep growing, and be happy always.”

Video recording of CR222: Designing a Happy Career and Loving your Work delivered on Oct. 4, 2019

Stop worrying, start preparing! It is natural to be worried about jobs disappearing because of a fast-changing industry where the norm is either disrupt or be disrupted. Worrying does not help, it that not true? So why not apply the lessons from our own life to prepare for the future that is here and now?

Got to love networking and meeting new people who become friends! It was an amazing experience to attend the celebration, connect with amazing speakers during the speaker reception and build relationships that we will cherish for a long time and take this priceless memory with us. Everywhere we go, people want to know that we are a #GHC19_Speaker. Let us make a meaningful difference in our communities and help support each other.

Work culture matters! We spend a phenomenal amount of time at work and it is most important to be in an environment that is accepting you for the person you are and providing you the coaching to mold you into the person you become as you learn to grow with and within the organization. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect and bond with my friends at ADP. I can just go on and on about how cool it is to know about the different projects we work on and how we brainstorm and connect as people first to deliver the best results for our business. We are a very diverse team and it is great to work in a culture that is inclusive and promotes talent growth and innovation in everything we do… it’s priceless! Checkout ADP Tech careers!

Diversity and Inclusion are most important for the success of the business! The mention of #GHC19 and AnitaB.Org — leading the frontiers in diversity, inclusion, and beyond… empowers you to find your inner courage and step up the game to be part of a cause that is so much bigger than ourselves. I am talking about achieving the rightful recognition for our work and opportunities to pursue career aspirations and initiate crucial conversations with the manager or mentor on ways to grow with and within the organization.

Mentoring — A GIFT THAT PAYS FORWARD! Truly thrilled to have the opportunity to mentor our student attendees to share our experiences and help them navigate the current landscape.

• I discovered a technique that I would call speed mentoring… focus on the quality of the conversation to guide and coach, rather than quantity, and leveraged LinkedIn Messaging and in-person time at the conference over coffee or waiting at the food court.
• Trust me, so many easy ways to mentor and it does not need to feel overwhelming.
• Set expectations and get ready to learn from brilliant young minds, yes, mentors learn as well during this process.

Time goes fast… Yes, it is natural to want to be in that space of GHC and not leave. Yet, we have the responsibility to bring back our learnings with us to apply at work so we can change our minds, change our perspectives, and set course towards career success and abundant happiness for ourselves. This inner happiness will propel us forward and become our catalyst to create new pathways to pursue.

#WEWILL change the world as we design our own careers and find our new destinations in our unique journeys for a very happy career journey. Future is here and now… 3, 2, 1 — let’s reactivate our career aspirations and find our happiness doing what we love — it’s important!

Let the learning continue… here is to continued success to all of us in all that we do! Best of Luck! See you soon #GHC20.

(Originally published on LinkedIn October 10, 2019. Republished with permission.)