No such thing as a stupid question: Dyah’s advice for women in the workforce

Q: What’s been your biggest career challenge to date and what did it teach you?

I worked in a drilling organization without any formal engineering/drilling background.

I had graduated from law school and was previously handling contract administration and procurement in a coal bed methane project before this current role. What this experience taught me is to keep working and it’s never too late to study. Never discourage yourself, don’t be afraid to ask questions—nothing is a stupid question—and always be proactive.

Q: What are your tips on juggling work and personal life?

Being a full-time employee, a wife and also a mother of three is quite challenging.

My tips are to prioritize and delegate; create a schedule; and embrace imperfection, not everything needs to be perfect. Be kind to yourself, and don’t stress over every little detail.

Q: What is your secret talent?

The ability to sense the energy around people. It’s not just about body language or facial expressions, but more of an intuitive feeling that tells me whether someone is positive, anxious, calm or even hiding something. This sometimes helps me know how to interact with them or helps to avoid certain situations based on the energy.

Q: Which superpowers would you choose?

I want to be able to divide myself without losing my focus and effectiveness, doing multiple tasks simultaneously. It’s not just about multitasking but also being able to be mentally, physically and emotionally engaged in different situations.

Q: Building on International Women’s Day’s theme, #Acceleratection, what actions have you taken, or would recommend, to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce?

I would recommend creating equal opportunities for career development and increasing training options for business support roles which are often fewer compared to technical roles. Sometimes, non-technical training is seen as 'important but not important’ and we need to change that mindset. I would also recommend providing mentoring programs and creating safe spaces for discussions or dialogues without fear of judgement.