Speak Up to Rise Up: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Nazia Iqbal (NOF#11)

10-01-2024 • 43 mins

Nazia Iqbal moved alone from Pakistan to Canada as a student. Despite facing tremendous cultural obstacles, she powered through initial struggles to climb from retail banking to impressive corporate roles, breaking barriers for immigrant women along the way. Gain an uplifting blueprint and mindset-shifting insights to overcome your career struggles as a newcomer.

Episode Highlights:

Arriving in a New Country and Culture
- Dealing with the shock of doing everything solo for the first time
- Facing bitter Canadian winters and health challenges
Launching a Career from Scratch
- Convincing the bank to take a chance on her
- Learning sales skills on the fly with zero training
- Managing intense pressure, quotas and customer demands
Corporate Culture and Communication Barriers
- Cracking norms that prefer silence from women and immigrants
- Battling imposter syndrome to gain confidence in sharing opinions
Unexpectedly Building a Network of Advocates
- Relationships with casual lunch buddies paying off with key referrals
- Winning promotions due to good performance instead of connections

Key Takeaways:

Stick it out in tough entry-level jobs to gain experience and work toward career goals.
Speak up and be assertive instead of waiting for permission or a formal invitation.
Don’t assume people will think less of you for needing help – proactively ask for help.
Cultivate genuine work relationships – you never know where they may lead.
Develop transferable skills everywhere possible to increase options down the road.
Conclusion: Let Nazia’s perseverance inspire you to rise above the labels, challenges and preconceptions that hold far too many newcomers back. Remember, every small win and connection opens more doors over time. Stay patient yet assertive and know your career is what you make of it, despite external perceptions.

Where to find Nazia