Why Being ‘Your Own Cheerleader!’ Is Important In a Career Journey of Pivots, Leadership, and More

“You are capable of anything; Do not doubt yourself.” That’s what Nupura Ravishankar, Group Lead for Mechanical Engineering (MDEV) at ASML has to say to people who are considering making a career change. “It's never too late to make a pivot,” she emphasizes. 

In Nupura’s own journey, she faced many pivots in order to grow to where she is today. In doing so, “I have become a lot more confident in my own abilities, and I have also become more passionate about advocating for myself as well as other women,” shares Nupura. “You just need to have the confidence to take the first step, which is reaching out and not letting your dreams just brew in your head.”

That’s why finding a supporter, such as a sponsor, is an important step in a career pivot journey. “My previous managers have been great sponsors for me without me even realizing it, so I am definitely lucky,” shares Nupura. “Now, when I look back at my journey, I realize how important that support was. Having someone who can support or back your work goes a long way.”

Today, Nupura is able to pay back the support she received by being a person others can reach out to during their own journeys. Not only does she seek to be a good role model who inspires others, Nupura is also actively helping the women around her! 

For instance, Nupura serves as the co-president of the Women@ASML, Wilton Chapter. “This is an employee network and is open to any employee interested in joining the community,” she explains. “I took up this role as a challenge for myself. I have always wanted to encourage more women to speak their minds and share their stories with each other. This is my way to make a difference to the cause that is so close to my heart.”

Today, Nupura is acting on her desire to help others by sharing important advice with the FGB community. From Nupura’s inspirational career journey to what she’s learned about leadership along the way, read on…

A career pivot deep dive.

Let’s start at the beginning of your career journey. What were your previous roles and experiences like?

After getting my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at UPenn, I started my career as a mechanical design engineer at Intel. However, as a new employee, I was moved into a different department than what I was hired for due to headcount issues. I ended up taking the role of a process engineer, which I quickly began to dislike. Within the first few months, I was very clear that I wanted to move out and do what I had studied, which was mechanical engineering design. 

So, I reached out to the manager who had interviewed me initially and kept in touch to see if any role would come up. I was persistent and luckily got to move to the group as a design engineer after only eight months. This was my first lesson in fighting for what you want and not giving up. You own your career, and you are the best judge of what is good for you. Speaking up is important if you are not satisfied with where you are. 

A lot of what I am today as a group lead comes from this manager. I also had a mentor who played a very important role in increasing my confidence and giving me direction. Both of them combined gave me many opportunities to grow, which shaped who I am today professionally. 

What made you decide to make a career change and pivot to your current role as a Mechanical Engineering Group Lead?

I have always gravitated toward leadership roles, and I always knew that I intrinsically had leadership skills. But, I also knew that it is important to first develop myself as an individual contributor and have a sound technical understanding before growing as a leader. 

Therefore, once I had invested time in strengthening my base, I grabbed the opportunity to be  a team lead at ASML since it was an exciting next step for me to explore my leadership skills. Then, during the reorganization of my department, there were new Group Lead (GL) roles that I applied to — which is how I ended up in my current role. 

How did you make this switch, and how did your company support you in this process?

My previous manager was instrumental in motivating me to apply for the group lead (GL) position. I had just started as a team lead about 1.5 years ago, and I wasn’t completely sure if I was capable or experienced enough for the role. His trust in my abilities and reassurance went a long way in convincing me to apply for the role. I had been so busy and focused on doing my work sincerely that I hadn’t realized how much the cross-sector had recognized and appreciated my hard work. 

The interview process was also very smooth, and I could sense the welcoming nature of my department manager and (current) manager through that time, which further helped me be at ease.

Once I got the role, my manager, team, and HR helped a lot in the onboarding and training process. HR had regular sessions for training all the new GLs together, which was very helpful. I could also depend on other GLs within my group for their advice along with, of course, reaching out to my own GL.

What’s your day-to-day like in your current role?

As the group lead for MDEV NXE RS, which consists of 18 people currently, I have three sub groups and am responsible for managing their work, guiding them, and ensuring that my team’s output is of the highest quality. I often interact with the project leads to align on resources, budget, project deliverables, and expectations for the mechanical team. I help voice my team’s concerns to the project when we are not in alignment. I work within my team and have biweekly 1:1s with each team member. I also help them with their personal and professional growth and guide them to the best of my ability.

Leadership lessons.

How would you describe your leadership style?  And how has your own career pivot/journey influenced this style?

I am a very sensitive and caring leader. I am very approachable, always try to foster camaraderie with the people I work with, and am passionate about the success of the people on my team.

Additionally, I believe one important element to be successful is to build trust. Throughout my time in the industry, I have observed various managers and concluded that the best teams are the ones that trust each other, genuinely have good faith and intentions, and — most importantly — revel in each other’s successes! As a leader now, this is what I seek to build within my own group.

While building your team, what did you learn that surprised you most?

Every individual is different and needs to be valued for the uniqueness that they bring. This takes patience and time to learn. You need to give up on your way of doing things, trust your team, and let them grow by discovering their own way of arriving at the solution. But, at the same time, you need to be present to guide them to that solution. There is a thin line between telling people how to do something versus inspiring them to do it. I am still learning how to do the latter better.

How do you make sure that your team feels supported and empowered to take charge of their career like you have?

I am very open in sharing my own journey so they can learn from my experiences. I also  encourage members within my team to take up new roles within the team whenever I see a good fit for them. Some of them are hesitant at first, but I reassure them and explain to them that sometimes taking a leap of faith is necessary (just like I did when I took the GL role and just like I got the reassurance from my previous GL). 

I also encourage them to seek mentors, and I have also matched some of them with people within the company who are willing to be mentors. This goes a long way in their growth because it helps them network and gain new perspectives. 

Finally, is your No. 1 piece of advice for other women who are moving into or want to move into leadership? 

Be your own cheerleader! In a male-dominated industry, it can sometimes be difficult for your work to be recognized. Learn to advocate for yourself and your needs!