Early in my career, I worked at Citibank's IT team with primarily Japanese teammates. When I got promoted, a few people questioned the decision. I was a woman and that too, a foreigner!
My manager tried to settle it by saying, "Let's give her the hardest portfolio. If it doesn't work out, we'll make a change."
That portfolio was capital markets. I had no clue what it even meant!
So, I learned it using the most fool-proof way - reading code
Did I have any pressure being a foreigner or a woman? I really never thought about it then, or ever in my life. Because my philosophy then and now has always been the same: you can't argue with excellence.
It does not matter what others are doing. Just show up every day, keep learning, have fun and do your best.
First posted on LinkedIn, November 20, 2025.