XM Knowledge Base
Belong
Breaking the Bias – Eliana forges her own path to tech
As a part of our Women’s History Month celebration, we are elevating the voices of women at Qualtrics who have Broken the Bias by seeking nontraditional career paths. We sat down with Eliana to hear her story. If you’d like to read more stories in this collection, you can find them here.
I've been working for as long as I can remember. I live in Argentina, a very complex country that has been dealing with high inflation and poverty for at least the last 70 years, and my family was no exception. Neither my mom nor dad finished high school and we didn’t have much, so at the early age of 12, I started teaching after school to help with finances at home. My first "real" job was at 17 when I was a part-time receptionist for a taxi company and worked at a store while studying. I started learning medicine but changed to be a pharmaceutical rep and then studied graphology, but while working I discovered my passion was in sales. It is not easy to be a woman, study, work, try to fit in, be accepted, and be recognized. I felt all these biases vanish when working in tech. We get to be smart and be trusted advisors. My 8 years at SAP were outstanding, and in the last 6 months at Qualtrics I got to change my career path from sales to pre-sales. It has been, beyond words, the most satisfying experience I have ever had. I love to feel that I can make a difference and that my energy and scrappiness actually do count!
How did you decide on your career path?
It was a natural path I felt while working. Becoming a trusted advisor is very important to me and I always enjoyed the part of selling that’s uncovering people’s needs and helping. I can sell with confidence and showcase a product that actually works and improves people’s experiences. I feel I was born to be a solution engineer. There is a quote from Mark Twain, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I believe with my heart this is what is happening today for me at Qualtrics.
Tell us about the importance of leadership/mentorship in your career journey.
Mentors kickstart your professional development. With the support of a mentor, you can stay focused on your career, gain confidence, attain goals, and expand your network. Having a mentor leads to self-discovery and helps you continue growing your career. Effective leaders, like the ones we have, have the ability to not only communicate well, motivate you, handle and delegate responsibilities, and listen to feedback, but also have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever-changing workplace. How can you progress if not with the help of a mentor and a great leader?
What’s the best career advice you have ever received?
Be yourself! You don’t have to change to succeed. You can learn new things that will make you grow both personally and professionally, but your essence has to remain!
 |
Eliana is an alumna of the University of Buenos Aires and started her career at Oracle. |
|---|