I am Generation Equality: Why I Gambled My Own Job Security in Support of #EachforEqual

I could not think of a better time to publish my first article on LinkedIn, then in celebration of #IWD2020 and its focus on how ‘an equal world is an enabled world.’ For almost a decade, I climbed the corporate ladder of a seasoned B2B enterprise. Reporting directly to the CEO, I was given opportunities for growth; and, I was deeply passionate and committed to the company’s mission and vision. With the birth of my son, though, I felt compelled to look closely at why I was being pulled away from him each day.

I never had thoughts of not working. I have nothing but love and appreciation for the many stay-at-home moms (and dads) out there. In fact, I think that’s a harder job than most. Rather, I wanted to work, but I remember looking at my son’s innocent eyes one morning, thinking “boy, whatever is pulling me away from this face had better be something special.”

So, what would make a job special? Never one to silo myself, my mind raced about what could be next for me – it felt like the world was my oyster to do something bigger. After a decent amount of soul searching, and far more job searching, I realized that what I was really looking for was a way to boldly make an impact.

Being impactful can come in many forms. For me, it meant pushing the boundaries of my own professional career to show other women and girls that they can do anything - and, of course, to show my son that his mom was one tough cookie. It also meant doing that for a business that was committed to something bigger than just the bottom line. If you believe in the laws of attraction, it would seem obvious that my next opportunity appeared – Director of Business Operations for a technology start-up whose mission is to lessen the digital divide by helping to connect women in need around the world. No kidding.

Worldwide there are nearly 4 billion people without connectivity – mostly women. In an increasingly digital world, this disparity in connectivity causes major educational, health, financial, and social limitations that impact the community as a whole. In Melinda Gates’ book, The Moment of Lift, she uses decades of personal experience to explain how “when we lift up women and girls everywhere, it benefits us all.” To me, connectivity – access to information, education, communication – seems like a commonsense, basic way to enable and empower (or lift) others. So, working for a company committed to this mission definitely filled my desire to make an impact.

While the opportunity, itself, seemed like a no-brainer, the reality was that I did not have most of the expected experience for the role. I lacked tech experience, my background was heavily B2B not B2C, and I had not truly held an operations position. After a lengthy interview process, though, I had convinced the CEO (and the rest of his team) that I was the right woman for the job. He explained that part of what impressed him was the simple fact that I applied for a job I thought I could do, even though I did not possess all of the desired qualifications. Imagine that? As an avid hockey fan (and former player), I grew up repeating Gretzky’s famous line “you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” So, why not apply?

According to a Hewlett Packard internal report, men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them. I can’t help but wonder if this contributes to so few women being represented in leadership roles.

Ultimately, when I received the offer, I knew I had to take it – not just for the mission, but because, as a woman, I was being offered a huge opportunity in business. Individually, this was something I could do to “challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perspectives, … and help create a gender equal world.”

So, I gambled my own job security in favor of #eachforequal. As one person, taking one step, it can seem insignificant; but, if we all take a step forward, collectively I know we’ll win.

P.S. In case you were wondering, I applied for the job from my mobile phone…

To learn more and join the movement visit: www.reachmobile.com