Ruth Cotter Title: Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, Human Resources and Investor Relations Education: BA Hons, economics and history, University College Cork, Ireland Company Name: AMD Industry: Semiconductor Company CEO: Lisa Su Headquarters Location: Santa Clara, California Number of Employees: 8000+ Your Location: Santa Clara, California Words you live by: Raise your hand. Personal Philosophy: Go for it! What book are you reading: Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor What was your first job: Baking cupcakes for a local store at age seven Favorite charity: UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Foundation
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I’VE HAD A RICH CAREER AND THE NUMBER ONE THING I’VE LEARNT IS TO BE COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN AS I PUSH MYSELF TO VOLUNTEER FOR PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.
Carpe Diem—Seize the Moment and Go
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’ve had a rich career and the number one thing I’ve learnt is to be comfortable in my own skin as I push myself to volunteer for projects and opportunities that are out of my comfort zone. Have you ever asked yourself if your routines and structures hold you back from putting your hand up more regularly for career enhancing experiences? Being comfortable with feeling uncomfortable is something we female professionals could practice more than we do. Many of us like structure and feeling as if we’ve mastered our professional skills. We tend to pause when new career
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opportunities present themselves and assess whether we can execute the role with 80 percent conviction. We don’t need to have 80 percent conviction. We need to be comfortable with being authentically ourselves and allowing ourselves to learn on the job and grow through the career experiences only we can have. How about not thinking too much—stop hoping and wondering— and start doing? And then, how about trying to eradicate doubts from your weekly routine? Consider being definitive in your asks and less suggestive in the workplace. What does that look like? It looks
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like “Let’s do” and not “I hope we can.” It looks like “Our research shows,” not “Our research might seem to possibly show.” A pivot can be simple; we don’t need to conquer the world in one day. I encourage you to invest in yourself. Take a moment, even if it’s while you’re washing your hands in a restroom, and pause. Look yourself straight in the eye in the mirror above the sink and be comfortable with your unique and wonderful self. There is so much fun and fulfilling work ahead from an enriched career. Go seize the moment, go learn and grow. Carpe diem!