LinkedIn WIT Newsletter: March 31st, 2022

Hey there ?? We are LinkedIn WIT (Women In Tech), an employee-led effort to promote gender balance in technical roles and inspire other companies to do the same.

Welcome to our newsletter! Join us to learn about our feature of the month, discover some posts you may have missed, and catch a sneak peek of our upcoming content for the next month!?

This Women's History Month we want to celebrate all the women and allies working to create change, uplift one another, and create a more equitable future for generations to come. We hope that you continue to #BreakTheBias!

Featured ?? ??

Nina Mushiana, Director of Information Security and WIT Co-Lead for Productivity Engineering @ LinkedIn

Can you tell us a bit about your career journey?

I was initially very unhappy with my dad for bringing me to the United States. I had to leave my friends, family...everything behind in India. So I told him, “Sure, if we’re moving to the U.S. then I will do everything American style. I’ll get a job for myself and learn to be independent - I’ll make it on my own.”?

In all honesty, I was hoping he would say, “No, no. It’s okay. You just stay in India with me then” because I was his baby and he would always want to provide for me. Instead he responded, “Actually that’s a great idea! I think that would be a great experience for you.”?

…So that plan didn’t work.?

Not sure what to do next, I asked my cousin, “What’s the quickest job I can get where I can start right away?” She told me some of her classmates did security and I said, “Sure, sign me up for that.” That’s how I started working as a security guard at a data center for Exodus Communications.?

I remember my first day, I was so impressed with these large construction trucks outside of the building - I come from a very small town in India - and I thought to myself, “I can totally do this.” I was making my own money, meeting new people, and really liking the overall environment of my work.?

Soon I was invited inside to work as a hybrid security guard and receptionist. I learned where? services were hosted for each customer and I worked closely with our NOC members to direct them to the right place. Eventually, they began to teach me how to do things? such as troubleshooting, reading the logs,? rebooting the servers, so I could assist and just complete the tasks myself, if needed.?

The team saw how hard I worked, recognized my potential, and suggested that I take some computer classes at San Jose City College. They promised me an interview if I could obtain my CCNA or MCSE.. I? took the classes, passed the test, as promised, was interviewed and hired - and that’s how my journey into computers began.?

From there, I went on to work and learn even more at Microsoft and Yahoo, before ending here at LinkedIn where I currently lead 3 teams focused on building identity solutions, infrastructure for our defense teams, and vulnerability management. So I view it as coming full circle - from being a physical security guard to a technology leader in Information Security at LinkedIn!

If you could offer one piece of advice to readers, what would it be?

Some people are very aware of and focused on what they want to do from a young age, but I wasn’t one of them. I originally planned to work in microbiology and do research with my father. My father was a botanist and I wanted to be just like him. Looking back, I think I only wanted to do those things because I was confused. I loved the idea that I would be able to work with my dad, but when I came to America and first got into computers - I discovered what it meant to truly be interested in something. Everything I was able to learn on the job was because it was something that my heart spoke to. I felt a similar calling when I switched into management.

Early on, I thought that once I had picked a path, that was it. I think that’s partly due to how the Indian Education System was set up - once you picked a path, you felt like you couldn’t go back and change it. Fortunately, I’ve been able to make numerous changes throughout my career, and every time my only regret was not having done so sooner and gained even more experiences.?

If I could give one piece of advice to readers, it would be to not limit yourself. If you think something is interesting - try it. If you don’t like it, that’s okay. You gain some experience, and can move onto something else after. All the decisions I have made built me up to where I am today. Don’t think that you’re limited to your current path - make that change in your life and gain those new experiences.

How did you initially get involved with WIT?

I’ll be very honest, before LinkedIn, I had never even thought of, or heard about, biases in the workplace. In this industry, I had accepted being the only woman on my team as the norm and I wasn’t bothered by it. I remember the first WIT session I attended after joining LinkedIn - listening to the women sharing their stories - I felt sorry for them, but I didn’t feel that it applied to me. I thought I was different; but the more sessions I attended, the more I learned. As I heard more stories and realized the issue was happening industry wide, I started paying more attention in my life. I began talking to the women on my team, and I learned about their experiences and how uncomfortable it can be for some to speak up.

Then, I had a personal experience with bias - and that lesson hit hardest. Luckily by that time, I had formed strong relationships within my community and I was able to lean on them. I could openly discuss what I was facing with them and they would even help me rehearse what to say next. I was able to recognize my mistakes and learn from them. That’s when I realized how blind I had been to the value of community - I had a support system filled with people who understood what I was talking about, provided unconditional support, guidance, and their honest opinions on how to navigate situations and the potential repercussions.??????

Unfortunately, I only learned the true value when I needed the support, so that’s a little selfish of me, but it inspired me to get more involved and give back all that I could. It’s important that we focus not only on diversity hiring, but also retention. I can’t stress enough the importance of a strong community and the support of male allies in the workplace.

-- This interview was originally given as part of our Meet our Members Series

In honor of Women's History Month, we wanted to highlight some other amazing women who have shattered barriers and paved the way for future generations:

Here’s What You Missed ????

WomenConnect Conference Highlights

We held our second annual Internal WomenConnect Conference this past month in honor of #IWD2022. The conference featured 66 speakers across 28 sessions centered around the theme #BreakTheBias. Some of our favorite moments from the weeklong celebration:

"We're all here to raise each other's voices, help each other out...use the voice that you have earned. Everybody is a leader in their role. I don't care what level you are"?

--?Erica Lockheimer, VP of Engineering

"The more senior leaders we have [at LinkedIn], the more impact we can make in the entire industry by creating role models"

-- Mohak Shroff, SVP of Engineering

"If you always feel confident with your peers because you feel you know as much as they know, you may not think about your own growth and learning. So think of it as an opportunity to push boundaries and grow yourself"

-- Samira Tasharofi, Sr Staff Software Engineer

And our Editor's pick for "Must Watch Moment", from Kamal Singla:

Read a full recap of the event by our Women In Tech Program Manager Morgan Ching below:

Spotlight - Meling Wu

In this month's Spotlight, Meling, shares her journey from a Bay Area Native reluctant to join her friends and family into the tech world, to Senior Engineering Manager overseeing the Search Federator Platform Team at LinkedIn. Checkout out her article to learn more about how her story and how her team manages LinkedIn's data across thousands of machines in a distributed system.

Upcoming ?? ??

Spotlight - Aarathi Vidyasagar

In our next Spotlight Series,?Aarathi?shares her personal journey to becoming VP of Engineering for LinkedIn Talent Solutions. From the mentors who inspired her, to the struggles she had to overcome, tune in to discover all the learnings she made along the way.

Humans of Engineering - Kacey Lewis

In our next Humans of Engineering article,?Kacey?discusses her long-term relationship with art and how it has positively shaped all aspects of her life - even incorporating it into her job as a Software Engineer!

WIT Showcase: REACH Finale

In our final Showcase for REACH, we will talk to a former REACH apprentice to learn about their experiences and introduce you to our next series topic: Accessibility Champions at LinkedIn!

Have any questions or feedback for our team? Reach out to [email protected]