Believe In Yourself and More Lessons from My Career Journey
Name: Jyotsana
Title: Principal Business Analyst
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Riverwoods, IL
My personal brand
A go-getter enthusiastic to drive process, operations, and technology excellence through data and analytics. A mother, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and big sister.
How one moment changed my life
My decision to immigrate to the United States had the biggest impact on my life. I had a successful career in India for 15 years, but shortly after returning from maternity leave following the birth of my second child, my role was eliminated in an organizational restructuring. My employer provided all impacted employees with 60 days to find another position within the company. I interviewed for multiple roles but was continuously told that because I had a small baby and the positions demanded travel, I would not be a good fit. In one interview, I was even told “ask your husband to go for a promotion while you take care of the kids at home.” This was disappointing as I was interviewing with my colleagues who I had collaborated with for years, who knew my work ethic, and my capabilities weren’t being questioned. This ignited a fire inside me to show everyone what I could do and achieve.
I decided then—it was time to pursue my dreams. In 2018, I used my severance to earn my master’s degree in business analytics in the US at the University of Cincinnati. My husband and children stayed with my in-laws back in India. In August 2019, I graduated, and my family joined me stateside in December.
When I first stepped on to the Riverwoods campus in 2019, I knew in my heart I was going to work here. While waiting for my interview, I could feel the inclusiveness of the organization—as every individual who walked through the door had a big, warm smile on their face. Discover’s culture motivates me to come to work each day. I am committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and promoting diversity at the company and am an active member in the PWIR and APAD ERGs. I believe one’s identity/background/heritage is the most unique thing one can possess, and it should be celebrated and amplified. PWIR has given me the courage to stand up to myself and be true to my feelings. APAD gives me a feeling of community and family I can relate to sitting miles away from home. Both these ERGs have helped me to shape my distinct personality, balance cultural differences and build a place for myself within my teams and the organization.
I’m working on evolving the way I self-promote. I have always downplayed my ideas and efforts, and it has limited my career growth. Recently, I was advised to speak up and share my ideas even if I think they’re simple, as some of the biggest problems in the world have simple solutions.
A quote I live by is “believe in yourself.” My mom gave me a placard before my 12th grade board exams with this quote written on it. I still have it with me and whenever I feel down, I take it out and look back on all the accomplishments I have achieved. It gives me the determination and courage to continue.