3 things I Wish I Knew at the Beginning of My Career
With Adobe Engineering Manager, Lydia Choy
A few months ago, we planned a “Future Female Tech Leaders Workshop” where high school students would engage in a time of mentorship with local women in tech. As part of the application process, each student had to submit a question for the mentors to respond during the workshop. However, after reading all the great questions our Code/Art girls submitted- we thought why not seek answers from a wider pool of #womenintech and share their insight with you all!
We are grateful to have Lydia Choy, Engineering Manager & Designer/Co-founder of Oculus Medium at Adobe share some very useful career advice with us this week. (Link to video at the end of this post.)
- There is No Dream Job.
“I essentially got my dream job coming out of school and it was an amazing experience but in the end, it really wasn’t about the specific job or the company it was really about the people that I worked with and what I learned from them.”
With this Lydia reminded us that it is important we seek jobs that are going to inspire, challenge, and ultimately help us grow!
2. Learn to Communicate and Listen.
“The second thing I learned is that while engineering and technical skills are really important…learn to really communicate with all different types of people and also to listen.”
Agreed! It’s so important to listen, especially when you’re receiving criticism. As Lydia reminds us, it’s key to not shy away from difficult conversations as there is a lot to learn.
3. Time is Your Most Valuable Possession.
“You will find that time is probably your most valuable possession and when you are young before you have kids or other responsibilities as you get older it’s really your most valuable thing. Think about how you spend your time.”
It’s just as important to not take our careers so seriously that we end up letting life pass us by. It’s important for us to ALSO take time to learn from people, travel, and experiences.
A huge THANK YOU to Lydia for being part of our series and sharing such profound advice!
Make sure to give her a follow on twitter: @choy.
