At Avanade, we create the future by expanding our thinking, experimenting courageously, and learning and pivoting. We do that for our clients, but we also do it in our own careers. Elaine Vallance, sales operations group manager, shared how this impacted her career journey.

How did you expand your thinking about your career?

I have always been ambitious, and I think for women we tend to see that as a bit of a scary word, that we will be told no, or you have children, or you are not in the right time of your career to be thinking bigger and bolder. It wasn’t until I really embraced why not and why not now, that my thinking expanded around the possibilities of where I could go and what I could achieve. It was only then that I really started to communicate and push for new opportunities.

Have you experienced working in different talent communities or parts of our business?

Yes, I become a consultant for two years on a client project to get experience as a consultant and also experience what life is like for a seller working directly with the client. I transferred my internal operational skills into a Business Analysis/Project Manager.

How did you approach these career moves and how did this help you to progress? 

I discussed the move with my career manager and spent time with sellers in my region to understand what skills sets they needed on client site so I could become chargeable. With the backing of my career adviser and being proactive in looking for opportunities, it was not long before one become available for me to make the move.

What is the one piece of advice you would give on how to drive your career journey forward at Avanade?

Voice what you want to achieve from your career – it doesn’t matter if it’s a big a step you want to take in five or 10 years’ time or a small change in the next 12 months, if you don’t let people know what you want, they cannot help you on your journey. I would recommend that you voice your ambitions not just to your career manager but mentors or senior leadership within the business outside of your day-to-day connections. The more people you discuss the journey you want to take, the more advice you can receive and opportunities become open to you. No one’s career journey looks the same.

Can you describe a distinctive experience in your career journey that has made you feel #AvanadeProud?

Working with the amazing people in Avanade makes me #AvanadeProud every day because we do not only have the most talented people in their roles but the most supported, generous and dedicated people in doing what matters for our clients and our individual well-being.

Tell us about a bold career move, or significant milestone, that has made a real impact in your career journey so far.

My current move is a bold move, having a global role in an unfavorable time zone. I know that I can make a difference in this role and with the support of the organization can make it work. This is also a significant milestone not just for me but also paving the way for other people to think about global roles from Growth Markets and how we can highlight the amazing talent we have in this area.