International Women’s Day is a great chance to celebrate what women are achieving and sharing stories. We spoke to some of our hard working women to find out what they most enjoy about their roles, some of the challenges they encounter and where they find inspiration and balance.

Ling Lee

Salesforce Consultant

Tell us about your role and what do you most enjoy?

At Destined, I am a Functional Salesforce Consultant. I love the diversity and range we get in our clients - from startups, government, global enterprises and everything in between! I’m constantly on my feet learning about different organisations and their unique business processes. 

Have you received any opportunities you are grateful for?

Number one on my list is my upcoming stint in the Destined Singapore office. Additionally, I’m grateful for professional upskilling opportunities. I’ve got a few things to knock off my career bucket list this year such as becoming a certified Scrum Master and getting a few more Salesforce certifications. And last but not least - having the opportunity to learn from and be mentored by fellow colleagues at Destined who are a veteran in their fields has been incredible. 

What advice would you give to women entering the tech field? Anything you wish you had known?

My advice to women entering the tech field is to give new things a go - if boys can do something, women can do it too! In the beginning I wish I’d known that you don’t need to know every single language on the planet. All it takes is the right attitude to learn as required and most importantly - knowing where your knowledge gap lies, and bringing the right people in to fill those gaps.

How do you balance work and life?

The key to balancing work and life is knowing when to say NO and discussing suitable alternatives with people. I definitely struggled with this in the early days but I feel I am getting better at this every day. 

Claudia Hoops

Pardot Marketing Automation Consultant

Tell us about your role and what do you most enjoy?

Hi there my name is Claudia and I am a Pardot Marketing Automation Consultant here at Destined. Destined is a full-stack Salesforce partner and my role is to help organisations implement Salesforce’s Marketing Automation software, Pardot, as well as supporting them with ongoing marketing strategy and tactical campaign execution.

In my role, I mostly enjoy that no day is the same and it constantly keeps me on my toes. I love sharing my passion and all the strategies and tips I’ve learned myself over the years being a Digital Marketing Manager and now a Marketing Consultant for the last three years.

What unique challenges have you faced in your career as a woman? How did you overcome them?

I feel that overall I’ve been lucky with my career as a woman and mostly came across jobs, managers and workplaces which were open and supportive. However, there were a couple of times where I’ve felt challenged by egos or being bullied on one particular occasion. I did bring it up with my manager at the time, however, luckily I had plans to leave that workplace in the near future which I felt was the best choice for myself at the time. On some occasions a clarifying conversation is helpful to clear the air and potential misunderstandings, however, sometimes the best thing to do is to let go and move on.

I admire Brené Brown and her work about living wholeheartedly and showing vulnerability. One of her quotes is 'The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it's about the courage to show up when you can't predict or control the outcome.' I like to say that I try to live and work by that example. If there are challenges I’m facing I usually try and resolve them with an honest and vulnerable conversation. If that is not possible or I’m not successful, I know that I’ve done my best to resolve the situation and the next best thing then is moving on and finding something that suits better. Showing vulnerability is one of the greatest gifts in life and I wish everyone the ability to be able to do so.

What advice would you give to women entering the tech field? Anything you wish you had known?

I wish I would have known my passion earlier and as a result started my career in tech earlier than I did. The advice I would want to give to women is to listen to themselves and their passion and start as early as possible rather than letting themselves drive for a while until following it. Also, to not shy away from choosing a degree in technology as that will be incredibly helpful in life and having a successful career in it.

How do you balance work and life?

I feel that I’m in the lucky position that work doesn’t feel like work as I love so much what I do. However, I do try and follow a balanced routine of daily exercise and mindfulness as well as connecting with my loved ones and spending quality time with my partner as life is short and it is important to look after ourselves - no one else will do that for you.

I’m also renovating a house at the moment which is exciting but also a stretch of time. I can’t wait until it’s done and I can start the next little side project. 

Who supports you to feel like anything is possible? Who inspires you? Who helps you see the world through new eyes?  

In short: the universe. I’m a big believer in manifestation, visualisation & spirituality. I have been listening to the Podcast of a German life coach for a few years now and I’m currently participating in one of her online courses, the ‘Rise Up and Shine University’. It’s a 10 week online program with daily 1hour tune in & meditation videos considering all aspects of life. 

It’s quite a time commitment, however, every morning when finishing the session I feel very empowered and a sense of accomplishment - this ‘me’ time is incredibly powerful, it’s like the happy feeling after exercise, only for your brain haha. 

My loved ones in my life - my family, my partner and my friends also play a big part when I need someone to lean on or feel inspired. My best friend is very positive, always seeing the bright side of life person. I can’t thank her enough for the amount of times she’s strengthened & inspired me and made the sun shine even when it wasn’t. 

I also love reading and getting inspired by books from writers such as Brené Brown and others about positivity, psychology and building healthy habits.

Emily Goldenstein

Marketing Automation Consultant

Tell us about your role and what do you most enjoy?

I am a Marketing Automation Consultant. I love using technology to find solutions to problems or just to make tasks more efficient. 

What unique challenges have you faced in your career as a woman? How did you overcome them?  

Going back to work after having a child has been a whole new kind of challenge. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the feeling that I want to be with my child when I’m at work, yet I know I want and need my career is a new kind of struggle. What I find helpful is keeping in mind that my career makes me feel fulfilled which actually makes me a better mom. 

Have you received any opportunities you are grateful for?

While working as a Digital Marketing Manager in San Francisco, I was approached by the CEO to take on the Salesforce Administrator role. I had barely used the platform before but I was keen to learn and the company invested in sending me to Salesforce University so that I could learn from the source. It gave me an appreciation for all the tech platforms out there and I’ve continued to enjoy it more and more.

What advice would you give to women entering the tech field? Anything you wish you had known?

It’s normal and totally ok to feel like you’re out of your element at times. If you keep at it, continue learning at every opportunity and keep talking to people you admire, you’ll eventually get to a place that you never imagined you could. 

How do you balance work and life?

I try to be deliberate with my time, meaning I consciously choose what I’m doing so that I’m wasting less time, and I focus specifically only on what I’m doing. For example, if I’m working with a client, my attention is on the client only and if I’m home with my family, I put my phone down. I’m not always perfect but I try to be present with what I’m doing and to stop myself trying to do too many things at once. 

Who supports you to feel like anything is possible? Who inspires you? Who helps you see the world through new eyes?  

My husband always cheers me on and helps me believe I can do anything. I’m inspired by everyone I work with. The entire team is constantly working to find new and innovative ways of doing things and it keeps me motivated to learn, grow and evolve. 

Ting Qu

Salesforce Consultant

Tell us about your role and what do you most enjoy?

I’m a Salesforce Consultant. I enjoy problem solving for clients, designing solutions and implementing them for their business. It feels rewarding that I’m making a difference (for the better) for their business.

What advice would you give to women entering the tech field? Anything you wish you had known?

I think it’s important to keep an open heart and also care for ourselves no matter what kind of field or environment we’re getting into. Something I wish I was told at the beginning of my career (or as early as it can be) is that, do not limit ourselves, be open to opportunities to learn and grow, even if they may seem difficult and unachievable at the moment. We are not defined by who we are or our gender, it’s the choices we make and our experiences that shape us. 

How do you balance work and life?

It’s impossible to keep work and life balanced all the time. I think one way to make it easier, is to choose the work that you like or passionate about, so that there’s some joy in work. Working out what’s best for you is the most important. If you want to do something badly, and you want to spend extra time outside of work to work on your idea or project, then that is not ‘unbalancing’, that can be actually enjoyable.

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