Heres How to Find a Job You Wake Up Excited About, From a Woman Whos Done It

Heres How to Find a Job You Wake Up Excited About, From a Woman Whos Done It According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 85 percent of Americans arent engaged at work. For fruchtwein of us, finding a job we like much less love seems like an unrealistic dream.But Sho Shanker, Principal Consultant at CDW, has the kind of passion for herbei job that would make anyone jealous. She finds a genuine joy in staying up at night thinking about how to solve a problem, and she wakes up every morning excited to work with her supportive team. At CDW, she has managers who let her try on new roles, a business resource group for women that helps her develop her career, and (a lot of) time to read for pleasure (wait until you see her reading list).How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously?My first role out of college welches Network Administrator. Six years ago, I started as a Consultant Engineer with CDW. From there, I progressed to become a Senior Engineer. Then, last ye ar, I welches made a Principal Consultant.Tell me a bit about your current role. What are your priorities?Im a Principal Consultant. I design, implement and deliver Cisco Collaboration technologies. My focus is on video and adoption consulting.Problem-solving and technology are two of my strengths, so Im genuinely thrilled that I get to apply one to improve the other at work every day. Another reason Im thrilled to get out of bed every morning is our exceptionally brilliant Collaboration team.Whats the biggest challenge youve faced in being a woman in tech?Gender Bias. Most of the people I interact with are wonderful, logical and sensible. On occasion, I do come across someone who has a strong gender bias. It doesnt matter what credentials I have or how sound my design is In their minds, I am less credible.How has CDW been particularly supportive and helped you overcome this challenge? How is the sense of support youve felt reflective of CDWs overall culture/policies?By design, Im a n outspoken, confident, outgoing person. But specifically, within CDW, I have always felt fearless.CDW has several Business Resource Groups (BRGs), one of which is Women in Sales and Engineering (WISE). Ive been an active participant since its inception. The value I get out of participating in the group is phenomenal as it consistently reinforces The CDW Way, our companys code of conduct and business ethics. The piece of the code that resonates the most with me is, We ansturm our business with passion and integrity.What initially drew you to CDW? And whats one of the most amazing things about your workplace that you didnt learn until working there?I was working with a consultant from CDW. The technological expertise and skill sets that he had blew my mind away. I wanted to be part of an organization that supports my career goals, gives the right environment to thrive and, most of all, where I get to be with my fellow nerdsI didnt realize how strong and powerful CDW is until I starte d working here. I was pleasantly surprised to find out about the multiple paths I could take, and the 360-degree encouragement I got. The most amazing thing though was to learn how approachable everyone is, regardless of their title.How has CDW supported your career advancement?First, there is a significant amount of autonomy (within reason) to pursue my career goals. While I was hired for collaboration, I was interested in routing and switching in the beginning. I recall my conversation with my then-manager. He encouraged me to work on collaboration and also dabble in route and switch, and assured me that if I felt as strongly 6 months later, I could switch. One week in, I knew he had made the right choice in hiring me for collaboration. He saw something before I did, but was willing to let me choose what really moved me.Second, there are plenty of opportunities to sharpen the skills that relate to your core expertise.A few years in, I realized that it was fascinating to work with video technologies. I was willing to put in the blood and sweat to become the SME (Subject Matter Expert).There is also a strong internal community. Im part of a few unofficial study groups, home lab fanatics group, a coding group and certification spaces. No matter how you define career advancement, CDW has a way to work with you.What are three things you make sure to do each workday before you disconnect?I reflect on what went well and what is repeatable, take stock of what didnt and think about how I can make that better tomorrow. I also review my Google Keep list to be better prepared for the next day. Sometimes, that means I get to lab something up overnight, other times I read up on white papers that particularly pique my interest.Whats something youre especially good at in your job?Creative problem solving and a genuine passion to make technology work for our customers are two of my strengths. I cannot put it in words how much satisfaction I get in those Eureka moments of pro blem solving, or staying up all night to get a solution to do precisely what my customers want. It is a warm fuzzy feeling. I would probably do it even if I didnt get paid to do it.What about outside of work?Over the course of time, Ive realized that there are some things that move my soul. Im into insane organization, meditation, yoga, spending quality time with my canine overlord, whipping up something delectable from simple ingredients, seeing the local community at the weekly farmers market, playing beach volleyball, and connecting with people. All simple thingsWhat are you currently reading/watching/listening to?In addition to reading technology blogs, I listen to Hidden Brain, Babbage, TED Talks, and Singularity.On a personal front, Im reading A Crack in Creation by Jennifer Doudna Samuel Sternberg, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin and my favorites Tao of Seneca and Enchiridion by Epictetus.Whats the one career move youve made that youre most pr oud of?I had to think about this one. I value every single decision that I have made, because it got me here. And here is an amazing place to be.Surprisingly, the one Im most proud of is the time when I said no to an opportunity that seemed exciting and offered a better pay. I analyzed the opportunity and realized that it was not my path to happiness. Im happy when Im challenged, supported and given the space to grow none of which would have come from that opportunity. Bonus I learned how to say no when necessary. Whats the most memorable piece of career advice youve received?The first thing that comes to my mind is something my sister said If you are not happy about something, change it.That seems very simple, yet it is extremely powerful. When Im not happy about the way Im solving a problem, I ask for help. When I dont feel happy about the work day, I find out what is making me unhappy and address it. If I find that Im not happy about how I handled a situation, I prepare better t he next time.Whats your 1 piece of advice for women who are pursuing careers in technology, or in other industries that tend to be dominated by men?Whatever you do, give it all you got. Invest the time and effort to become the subject matter expert. Speak deliberately and show that you own your domain. Be fearless--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with CDW.Find a job there today