Sidra Naseer’s Post

📽 Earlier this month, the docuseries "Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders" premiered on the streaming service Max by HBO Max. I had the honor of participating in “Episode 2: TikTok Terror," which tells the story of my late friend, Sania Khan. This project, developed over 12 months, involved many of Sania's closest friends and aimed to reach and support women, especially South Asian women, facing abuse. Our message is clear: it is okay to stand up for yourself and leave toxic relationships, even without familial support. Additionally, Sania’s story offers valuable lessons for the professional community. 💡 I wanted to share Sania's episode on LinkedIn because it sheds light on the unique cultural dynamics, expected gender roles, and views on mental health within South Asian, especially South Asian American, communities. As professionals, South Asian women spend their days redefining the narrative both in the corporate world and in their communities. Our identity comes with cultural challenges that we must navigate, balance, and overcome to thrive both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, depression and mental health are still social taboos, and advocating for ourselves remains rare. 🔎 The current job market further complicates these dynamics. Employed South Asian women are often asked to overextend themselves to cover resource gaps, while those seeking employment face uncertainty and question their self-worth after multiple rejections. 💭 If you are an organizational leader, I urge you to approach hiring and management with empathy. If a South Asian woman requests flexibility, consider granting it without demanding justification and trust her to perform. When reviewing resumes, focus on her merit and past accomplishments rather than any gaps. I hope Sania’s story inspires and empowers others to view these issues from a different perspective. #Docuseries #Premiere #Empowerment #SouthAsianWomen #CulturalUnderstanding #layoffs #SaniaKhan #DEI #mentalhealth

I'll be attending the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Virtual Conference tomorrow. I appreciate WiCyS for providing this accessible opportunity to stay informed about the latest trends in cybersecurity, but also for donating a portion of the very affordable registration fee to a charity of my choice. The breakout sessions I'm most looking forward to are "Flipping the Script: Unleashing the Power of Flipper Zero in Cybersecurity" and "Unlocking the Potential: LLM and ChatGPT Applications for Cybersecurity Careers and Beyond." Who else is attending and what are you looking forward to learning? #WiCyS #WiCySvirtualconference #professionaldevelopment #cybersecurity #securitycareer #securityAIapplications #flipperzero

Happy International Children’s Book Day! Thank you for the shoutout Women Impact Tech - I am both humbled and honored 😊

Last year when I attended SXSW for the first time, I only had my children’s book cover created for “Noor Sight & Bytes” (Amazon link: https://lnkd.in/eFteK6wb ). This year, I am proud to attend the festival as a self-published children’s author and illustrator! SXSW is always inspiring, but the reason I attend is because it reinforces the message that whether you are a creative, aspiring creative, or even a working professional in any industry, only you can turn my dreams into reality - you have be consistent, disciplined, work hard, and keep faith to live the life you want. Thanks to all those who have purchased my book and supported me in making this dream of mine a reality! Also, Ramadan Kareem to my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters who are observing the month! And also, Happy Women’s History Month! #sxsw2024 #childrensauthor #austintexas #southasianwomen #technologistbyday #authorbynight #amazonkdp #amazonbooks #selfpublished

Grateful on this International Day of Education for the profound impact my college Business Communications professor Dr. Priscilla Berry had on my professional journey. Your transformative class ignited me to explore my passions, including my dream of writing for children and giving back to others. Education empowers dreams, and I’m living mine thanks to mentors like you who have always encouraged me. Glad we reconnected after more than a decade! #InternationalDayofEducation #gratitude #womeninspiringwomen

Today at the Salesforce World Tour - Atlanta, I explored new products, partner offerings, and inspiring customer stories. A highlight for me was witnessing how Williams-Sonoma, Inc. leverages the Salesforce suite of products to provide a seamless and connected B2B/B2C experience. The demo showcased AI-powered solutions, like Einstein, enhancing marketing, service, and sales operations through the power of unifying customer data across systems. A standout moment was an automated interaction with a customer transitioning from B2C to B2B, showcasing personalized service and alternative options. If you’re looking to take a customer-centric approach to operations, be like Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and don’t let the complexity of the scope prevent you. I also discovered the Salesforce Starter Suite, challenging the misconception that the Salesforce platform is only for large enterprises. Small businesses can elevate sales, marketing, and service functions for just $25 per month per user, with a user-friendly interface requiring little effort on initial setup. Kudos to the Customer Success team at Salesforce's Atlanta office, like Bella Mariano and Trisa Belfast-Thompson, who shared insights from their own Salesforce Consultant certification journey. It was refreshing to connect with professionals influencing technical strategic direction in roles not requiring hands-on technical configuration or architecture. Check out all the training on Salesforce’s learning platform Trailhead (most of which are free) to see what fits your aspirations. This post is not sponsored by any organizations mentioned in the post. Views are my own. . . . #SalesforceWorldTour #CustomerSuccess #Customer360 #SalesforceAtlanta #trailblazer #trailhead #SalesforceStarterSuite #smallbusinesssolutions #einstein

Day 27 of this war has shown us the power of compassion, transcending backgrounds and beliefs. We face a humanitarian crisis that demands our collective action. Join me in making a difference - purchase my book "Noor Sight & Bytes" on Amazon https://a.co/d/4wZumrZ and all royalties for the year will go to the United Nations World Food Programme. Together, we can be the change we wish to see. 🌍💙 . . . #HumanitarianCrisis #NoorSightAndBytes #UNWFP #MakeADifference #aidforgaza #ceasefire #letaidin #DonateToHelpGazans #Palestine #PalestinianChildren

🚨 Recruiters, Hiring Managers, & Employers - It's time for an important conversation about professional etiquette and bias. 📢 Recruiters, we need to discuss interview etiquette. Cancelling interviews at the last minute or just not showing up without explanation is not just unprofessional, it's disrespectful to the valuable time and effort candidates invest in the process. This has happened to me twice in the last week. Being a minority woman in tech is hard enough as it is, now let's add the effect of global news on hiring, but first a personal story. A few years back, I decided to enroll in Global Entry due to a recurring issue. My last name, Naseer, often led to racial profiling when traveling domestically and internationally because someone I have no relation to is on the no-fly list somewhere. 🚨👀 Recent global events, such as the Israel-Hamas conflict, make me question if my name is inadvertently filtered by ATS systems. Racial profiling based on names needs to end. Despite being a proud US citizen, I've encountered hurdles that shouldn't exist. I am NOT changing my last name, and I'm proud of my Muslim South Asian roots, so employers and their AI enabled ATS systems just need to get used to it. Now some of you may feel that I'm over-exaggerating, but I have proof of this happening in person as well. At the recent #GHC23 conference, I had to write "Do NOT need sponsorship - US citizen" on my paper resume to get the attention I deserved from potential employers. It shouldn't be this way. Let's actively combat bias, embrace diversity, and ensure that every qualified candidate, regardless of their background, is given a fair chance in the job seeking process. Do better! #DiversityMatters #Inclusion #EqualOpportunity #jobseeker #inclusion #currentevents #womenintech #pakistaniwomenintech #SouthAsian #talentacquistion #hiring #BeingMuslimInAmerica ****additional update/story**** For those not understanding the impact of global events on aspiring engineers and gen z about to enter the workforce, my own nephew, who is a soon-to-be mechanical engineer, is struggling on getting an intership. I wonder if it's because he has a middle name of "Bin" which means "son of" in Arabic (we share different last names). Since the beginning of the year, he's met with his advisors, career services, submitted tons of internship applications in front of me, has a portfolio of projects, updated his linkedin, and he continues to maintain a top-notch GPA in his last few semesters, but still no internships - not even an unpaid one, and maybe 1 interview that didn't pan out. As a matter of fact, he gets an automatic no within a few hours to 48 hours. So as a loving aunt, yes I worry for the next generation of multicultural students.

Amidst the horrific events in Israel and Palestine, it's crucial to remember the impact on both sides. While sending thoughts and prayers to Israelis, let's also extend our support to the innocent Palestinian civilians. On this World Mental Health Day, let's prioritize inclusivity. If you're checking in on Israeli and Jewish colleagues, take a moment to do the same for your Palestinian coworkers and acquaintances. This is a tragedy for all. As someone who has had to prepare the deceased body of a loved one for burial after a horrific homicide (last year), my heart aches for those in Israel and Palestine who have lost loved ones in this tragedy.🌍💔 #WorldMentalHealthDay #InclusivityMatters #bekind #forthesakeofhumanity Hateful comments will not be tolerated. If you know of Israeli and Palestinian charities aiding innocent children that are victims of these tragic events, please comment below so we can support humanitarian aid efforts.