Listen to Advice From Experienced Women

I did a number of internships at different GE locations. Working for GE took me to the “weirdest” places: not cities and not suburbs, but I enjoyed every bit of it because of the people I met. Several were intellectually smart. I loved our conversations. One of GE’s strengths, while I interned there, was its affinity groups and mentoring/coaching programs. Personal and professional development was lauded. So, networking was encouraged. Two of my most memorable moments at GE were getting advice from two experienced women in the company: one was a top executive at the time while the other had worked close to the manufacturing floor for several decades. Most people know GE for its performance review process: that it can be tough. Yet, there is much to be said about it. I will share the advice I received.

At a GE African American forum one summer, during the Q&A session, I walked up to the microphone to ask the headliner, an older female African American executive at the company, what it took to get to her level of success. I stated that she probably did not wake up one day as a child and say she would be an executive at GE in the future. She smiled and simply stated “follow your passion and not money.” She explained why and it made sense to me. It was a pivotal time in my education because I was just starting grad school and thinking about what field of engineering I wanted to specialize in. Given that enjoyed multiple aspects of electrical engineering and was good at them, should I select my specialization based on return on investment (ROI— what field would pay me the most) or on passion? The forum helped me remember why I got into engineering in the first place. I intended to fix Africa’s overwhelming poor power problem someday. It became clear to me that my passion would win and reign. I decided to pursue perhaps the lowest paying sector of electrical engineering: the old field of electric power. I have never looked back.

The second time I got what I consider to be great advice was during a meet-and-greet with the female colleague. We talked about GE’s performance review process and she said to me: “The best way to receive tough feedback is to ask for it before it is volunteered.” She advised me to go to my manager from time to time with a pen and a pad and say “what do you think I should work on?” She said “when receiving tough feedback, write in your notepad. You are receiving good information and hiding your emotions simultaneously.” I have carried this bit of advice with me in and out of the office. Some are annoyed by the amount of feedback I seek. Some are enthused by it. It has helped me grow a lot in short bursts of time. I look at the (moral and development) mirror often and keep wiping off boo-boos.

I am in no way perfect and cannot get there in my own power. But I feel I can make the world a better place if I myself am better. So, I encourage every young lady and woman out there. Seek advice and take it to heart. You never know how far it will take you!