The power of community is in its conversation, and this week, the women are speaking.
At C2C, we believe sharing journeys can provide the motivation, inspiration, or belief others need to either take their first steps or keep going.
In that spirit, we're honoring Women's History Month by having career conversations with the women from our global community, culminating today on International Women's Day on March 8, 2021.
Today we're featuring Andrada Morar ( @Andrada.Morar ), who not only heads C2C on the Google Cloud side, but is also the global head for go-to-market activation for social selling.
How would you introduce yourself?
Dubbed the "female version of a bottle of champagne," Morar began at 12 years old when she worked as a radio journalist in Europe.
Get to know Morar in her own words.
Tell us about your tech path.
Morar doesn't have a traditional technical background. Instead, she began her career in communications. Being restless for challenges and eager to learn, Morar challenged herself to make a move into tech.
Listen to her explain how she successfully pivoted to B2B technology, even when she thought she would be "bored to death."
How did you get started with Google Cloud?
Through the encouragement of mentors like Kelly Ducourty, VP of go-to-market strategy and operations at Google, Morar was able to join her dream company. But it was a lot of work getting there - hear how she did it.
Listen below to how she navigated the Google interview process and even got a peek of the infamous Google interview process.
Morar said that a lot of the Google interview process is available on various platforms online, but they tend to ask a lot of behavioral questions. They're most interested in understanding how you think, rather than how you perform, since your resume and the skills that earned you the interview already demonstrate that. Morar said candidates should also be aware that Google is a data-first organization, so they always ask how candidates will utilize data in their roles and to explain why it matters.
Finally, she recommends that candidates activate their networks and learn from their peers and mentors and seek out referral opportunities.
What does it mean to you to be a woman in tech?
Crediting her parents, Morar never felt "otherness" or the distinction her gender creates in a work setting until moving to the U.S. But it's where she heard her parents' advice to never "let anyone else tell me what my story is; I should be the one leading my story."
Hear about her global experience as a tech woman and how the U.S. could also bridge the gender gap and work toward parity. She also shares tips for navigating awkward moments by "addressing them head-on.
Hear how Morar coaches other women and how to build mentoring relationships.
When asked about statistics, like only 17% of the digital workforce is composed of women or that only 23% of the employees at Google are women, Morar gave an inspiring piece of advice: not to be discouraged, but instead be motivated to prove it wrong.
Have you felt "imposter syndrome?"
As you may know, imposter syndrome, as defined by the Harvard Business Review, feels like you're not worthy of your success. It's also "doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. Many question whether they're deserving of accolades."
Hear about Morar's experience with it and why it's essential to celebrate yourself.
How do you want to change the world?
We often hear that people at Google want to change the world, and it's not about the work but the impact.
So, we had to ask Morar how she wants to change the world. Hear her thoughts on the value a small act can have. Hint: It has nothing to do with technology.
Instead, Morar believes in the power of a single small act as an impetus for more small acts, which collectively lead to significant change. So, when she's walking her dog, she picks up trash she encounters and helps keep the environment clean and thriving.
"That's something really small, but in my mind, it's like, if I do something small, maybe somebody else will see it and feel inspired to do the same," Morar said. "It's the same with mentoring; if I do this for somebody, maybe they will pass it on because I believe in the collective power."
How can the C2C Community get in touch with you?
Morar is available to connect right here on the platform.