Here’s the Key to Forging a Career That Fits Your Lifestyle

For some, the ideal career is about more than a job — it’s a lifestyle. This is clearly the case for Kavita Jaswal, a manager of systems design and strategy at T-Mobile, who calls joining the company the career move she’s “most proud of.” 

Jaswal, who describes herself as passionate about technology, authenticity, and helping other women, says she could find all three aspects in her role at T-Mobile.

T-Mobile is Hiring! Browse opportunities. 

Recently, Jaswal shared with Fairygodboss the importance of having passion in your career — and her No. 1 piece of career advice to women. Check it out below! 

How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously? 

I have been in my role for 3.5 years. Previously, I was a Principal Engineer and Senior Engineer on the same team (working as an individual contributor).

What’s the first (and/or last) thing you do at work every day? 

I start my day off with purpose, picking five critical things to be tackled in the day. At the end of the day, I check my calendar and plan for the next day.

As part of the Device Certification team, I get to work on new, unreleased devices and technologies – Like 1.2GB speeds, Licensed Assisted Access, NB-IoT (Narrow Band - Internet of things). Right now, our biggest focus is bringing 5G to the world, making sure we are providing our customers with the best possible wireless experience. I love how we are always rewriting the rules of wireless and pushing the envelope on new technology.

What’s something you think most people (perhaps even current employees) don’t know about the technology you work on that you think they should? 

1. Digits! It frees your number from your phone – so you can port multiple numbers onto a single phone, or you can configure your number on multiple phones. You can even access your messages and calls through the web interface called Web Digits. I have left my phone at home many times and have not had to worry, as I could access all my calls and messages from my computer! This is one of my all-time favorite features. 

2. T-Mobile’s incredible international roaming plan, Simple Global, which we provide to our customers for free. I have travelled in India, Japan, Europe and Ecuador and it is so much easier to travel when you have access to data, maps, restaurant/hotel reviews, etc., on the fly and can stay connected to family through WhatsApp and Skype.

What skill are you trying to improve at work?  

While I know I have a talent for networking within the organization, I am constantly trying to work more actively on my peer relationships. Between managing up to your boss and managing down to your team, it is easy to forget to nurture the peer relationships that are also so important.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I love to volunteer – whether it be at STEM events or as a weekly volunteer teacher of Hindi. I also love creative pursuits – planning elaborate birthday theme parties with my kids or an End of Year drama performance with the kids from my Hindi class.

What’s your most impactful hurdle, and how did you move forward from it? 

Getting laid off from my job as a software engineer at a failing startup 10 years ago. Of course, the news at first was scary, knowing my career was going to take a different direction than planned. In addition to making me rethink my priorities, it also made me unafraid that something like this might happen again. It really wasn’t the end of the world – and I loved being able to spend a couple of years at home with my kid before entering the workforce again. It made me much more open to taking risks. 

Joining T-Mobile 8 years ago. I joined after around 2 years of taking a break from work. At T-Mobile, I could get the support to ease into work, as well as be a part of an exciting work environment in which I have thrived and grown in my career. 

T-Mobile has a fun, inclusive environment that lets you be you. In addition to my day-to-day role, I am a member of the Women in Technology employee network group, which gives me the ability to bring a new passion to my job. At T-Mobile, I am able to be a corporate responsibility champion and contribute to multiple causes, such as getting women into STEM careers. T-Mobile is aware that there is a life outside of our role on paper, and provides us with the support and opportunities to make everyone feel like they belong. 

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?

Reading: “Rise” by Patty Azzarello. I love her straight-from-the-heart advice.

Watching: “3%” on Netflix. (By the way, did you know that T-Mobile’s plans come bundled with free Netflix?)

Don’t downplay your achievements in your resume or during the interview. Be confident and own your success.

Who is/was the most influential person in your life and why?

My father. He is the inspiration for my career choices: being an engineer, and being in telecommunications. In addition, he’s my undying champion in anything that I do.

What’s the most memorable piece of career advice you’ve received?

My best career advice was about how to handle difficult conversations, whether related to my own career or my team’s performance. Practice the conversations prior and speak in a normal tone of voice. While practicing, say “It is raining outside” in a normal tone three times and then repeat the difficult message in the same tone.

What was the best quality of the best boss you’ve ever had?

They provided me with unfiltered feedback about myself and how to improve on my areas of opportunity. 

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