Meet Krisztina, our inspiring leader who is full of enthusiasm about working in ICT.
Everything is possible, right?
Mohammed Ali once said:
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
For a long time now, that’s been my favorite quote, and it’s one that has guided me throughout my career.
So, to share with you my story, let’s start at the beginning. I come from a family of engineers. I always loved mathematics and was lucky to have great teachers at elementary and high school who encouraged all their students to pursue their passions and interests. So, it was never really a question that I would apply to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), and the rest, as they say, is history.
I’m responsible for MINI-LINK development activities in Ericsson Hungary working closely with about 190 engineers. For me, the product itself matters. MINI-LINK, which is a microwave product, helps to create connections to areas that are not necessarily reachable physically. I believe it’s great that remote access to healthcare and learning has become easily accessible for people living in Alaska or in the rainforest, thanks to this technology.
A belief in diversity
At Ericsson, diversity is at the center of what drives our actions. And this covers diversity not only in terms of gender, but in terms of nationality and age as well. For example, we just introduced an International Community full of great people with high energy and fresh ideas. In the case of gender diversity, there’s a greater emphasis on hiring without bias these days. By removing bias from the recruitment process and assessing candidates on their ability to perform the job, better decisions are always made. I personally do my best to show my team that I am a believer in diversity and am always glad receiving new talented colleagues in my team no matter what their gender, nationality or age is.
Inspiring and guiding other women in the sector
I would be truly proud if I inspire even one woman to choose this sector and career. Imagine if every woman out there working in this sector inspired one more woman! I know for example that at Ericsson, we have reached 25 percent female representation in our workforce and 32 percent in our executive leadership. The time by which we reach 50 percent or more would accelerate in our own company and hopefully others if we kept on encouraging young females to join the female-in-tech revolution!
The advice I would give to any young female talent looking for a career in the ICT sector or even any sector is:
- You can be successful if you really like what you’re doing. Of course, there will be periods that are stressful or when circumstances are not ideal though if you like what you do, your job will be so much easier.
- Always be curious and never stop learning.
- Dare to raise your hand if you want to share ideas or ask questions. Certainly, at Ericsson, we focus on creating a speak-up environment and know that this helps us drive success.
I started this piece with my favorite quote and let me share another one with the female talent out there, or anyone looking for a bit of inspiration today to end it:
