Against all Odds
Jumoke Olugbade
Security Technical Specialist
Microsoft Canada
Like many parents, I’ve faced many challenges that have evolved during the course of the pandemic, including starting a new role at Microsoft Canada. When the pandemic began, every member of my household was home. I hadn’t set boundaries on when to work, when to spend time with my family or when to take time for myself. Women or mothers often feel they need to overwork themselves to have it all. My advice is to find something that you enjoy doing and make a career out of it. I say this because if you enjoy doing it, then you probably will not see it as work in the first place. While I understand that some careers might be more demanding than others, enjoying it means that you are more open to planning around it in a way that it works out for you and your family.
"My goal is to change the narrative that women cannot attain success in their professional careers while prioritizing their families."
I am driven and hardworking; I pride myself on doing “good work” and I am intentional about that. However, doing good work also means rising to the challenges I’ve faced and addressing them head on. I make a conscious effort to take breaks – going as far as to set alarms on my phone at different times during the day to stop and get up. With my new team, I challenged myself to ask for quick calls instead of messages so I could build relationships and rapport with my peers. In most roles I have been in, I am able to take time off for family without the fear of being judged. My work already speaks for itself, so I feel I am warranted the break. If I need to, I have the flexibility to put in extra hours and make up for any lost time. Most importantly, my family is top of mind, which means logging off in the evening for them and only logging back on when necessary and that is okay.
I have been able to rise against all odds and felt empowered to be the best version of myself at home and at work. Having joined Microsoft three months ago, I’ve taken advantage of the hybrid environment to learn. The flexibility has allowed me to have much better control of my day and how I plan it. It has also enabled me to better balance my personal growth priorities as I’m currently completing my Masters in Cybersecurity. As I’ve onboarded, everyone has prompted me to take my time to read and learn. It feels like I’m getting paid to learn and I feel a genuine sense of empowerment to continue to grow. A growth mindset has led me to naturally gravitate towards a learning culture and to always want more out of life – and at Microsoft, I can truly achieve that.
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