In this Global STEM Perspectives series, our SWE Content Curators work group will bring you experiences, success stories and perspectives from different women in different regions. In this article we’re highlighting Tripti Singh, Senior Quality Manager at Moixa Technology and Advisory Board Member at Octillion Capital Partners. Read on to hear Tripti’s insight and advice about leadership in the STEM field.
Name: Tripti Singh
Job Titles: Advisory Board Member at Octillion Capital Partners | Senior Quality Manager at Moixa Technology, London
Qualifications: Master of Business Administration 2022 – London Business School, UK (EMBA candidate) | Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical & Electronics) 2012 – Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India
Opportunities are rare.
I still refer to my school days, when I led the school as a student council member, as the start of my leadership journey. I was good at academics, arts, drama and sports and was often referred to as “well rounded” in my talents and interests. What helped me the most was my curiosity to try/learn new things and explore everything that came in as an opportunity. I consider opportunities to be rare. One must take full advantage of whatever comes their way to learn and understand whether or not it’s a good fit for them. Nothing is known until you try. I grabbed every new opportunity at work as well—that’s how I was introduced to the world of systems auditing and process improvement. Even today, I don’t let an opportunity pass by me without at least acknowledging it. A good recent example is me getting into a business school while working in order to gain an understanding of other business functions such as finance and marketing, as I was mostly familiar with functions like operations, quality engineering and supply chain logistics.
Never regret the past.
I started my career as a graduate engineer on production shop floors of an automotive manufacturing firm, managing nine supervisors who in turned monitored approximately 250 operators. While I was doing my engineering, I had made up my mind to work for the core engineering sector. A job which didn’t allow me to move much from my desk was not on my list then, as I enjoyed seeing things develop physically rather than on software. This was a choice of an athlete who loved sports and championed various track events in school, college and district meets. I continued to work in this sector for several years and came across very tough situations such as working with people unaware of the English language/my mother tongue or running machines on production lines standing non-stop for hours to support my team of operators and supervisors at the time of crisis. There were days when I used to be upset for not choosing the IT industry, which seemed to quickly opened doors to global opportunities, but every day at work used to help me get submerged in issues and areas of improvement. Apart from learning new languages and techniques, I was learning to improve my personal dynamics to work well with people every day. What was important for me at that time was being self-motivated and seeking inspiration from the world without comparing myself to others.
Believe in yourself.
I’m proud of myself for having set examples by working and leading functions in a sector which is heavily dominated by male employees. In a world where software, automation and AI are given utmost importance, I bring a diverse experience to my cohort reminding everyone of the basics of best manufacturing practices as hardware isn’t as easy as it is often considered! This was also one of the reasons I got into one of the best business schools in London, and hence I would always urge people to follow what their hearts say. You never know when you’ll see the fruits or results of your pursuits!
Align your values with your work.
What matters the most to me in life is being true to the values built within me as I grew up with my family and alma mater. One of them which I often advocate is integrity, and it somehow relates to my professional journey so far. A product’s quality matters the most when it comes to a customer’s safety and satisfaction; By being open to accepting the realities of products, services and processes, I’ve helped my professional decisions be fair and in favour of the clients, customers and business.
Knowledge + Logic ≈ Confidence.
One thing which is clear to me now after working for six different domains in three different countries is that you can achieve anything—from solving complex problems to influencing teams and management—if you have the correct logic and knowledge behind the point you stand for. This not only gives you the courage to put your points forward confidently, but also gives you the strength to counter something that’s going wrong. So, the best thing is to be proactive, prepared and well-researched before you plan and execute anything. Also, never stop building up your knowledge bank!
Respect all while you learn.
By being respectful, you maintain the best relationships which is often key for successful businesses. My originality reflected several times in my workplace where I got to the root of some quality issues through operator interaction and by working on the machines myself. Apart from using the standard quality tools of investigation, interviewing the operators and supervisors has helped me analyse and understand the root cause quickly. I’ve been very close to ground realities and that has helped me solve some big issues of the businesses I’ve worked with. It is also essential to understand the practicality of things before you recommend an improvement plan to someone, and that comes in only after you have the practical experience of something.
Stay positive.
Staying positive especially in a time like this where we’re all trapped in the complexities of a pandemic is quite essential. If you’re rejected by several employers consecutively, you’re bound to become upset—but what’s important is to remain optimistic and that can be achieved by sharing what you know with the world. Write and share blogs to your network, volunteer for small organizations with your expertise and even think of starting something of your own. The sky is the limit!
Related content:
- Global STEM Perspectives: Kavitha Gunasekaran – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, India
- The Mentoring Journey of a SWE Global Affiliate Member
- Connecting Across the Globe: SWEsters from Pittsburgh and Chennai
- How STEM Helped Me Cope During a Difficult Time in a New Country
