Rachel: My journey to becoming a project manager
- Background:
- Rachel was hired by Google out of a bar in the East Village, New York, about 12 years ago.
- She worked as a bartender and gave advice to regulars, some of whom were Google employees in NY Ops and SRE.
- Transition to Google:
- In 2008, Rachel applied for an admin role at Google and was hired as an Administrator for Site Reliability and Engineering Ops.
- After two years, she transitioned into Program Management.
- Skills Transfer:
- Skills polished while bartending, such as giving advice, understanding customer needs, and building relationships, translated into her work at Google.
- Her role as a program manager involves helping people navigate meetings and decision-making processes, similar to how she helped bar patrons have a better night.
- Relationship Building:
- Building a community with engineers was key to her role, which was facilitated by her background in bartending.
- Talking to and understanding the needs of various team members, including engineers and product managers, is essential.
- Key Takeaways:
- Program management is not just about processes but also about relating to people.
- Skills from different life experiences, such as working in a bar or art school, can be valuable in program management.
- Understanding and addressing the unique needs of team members is crucial for success.