I spent the past 20 years as a Presales Systems Engineer, and although I enjoyed my role, I had been eager to try something new.  However it felt that no matter where I looked, companies were interested in me for the role I was already doing, not what I could do.  At Pure, l finally found a company that values the whole person and my manager shaped a role that not only took advantage of my prior experience, but allowed me to utilize all of my talents in a way that inspired me to show up as my best possible self every day. After 20 years, I finally got to break out of the box and stretch myself in new ways.

Being a woman in tech I am already a minority.  But in my chosen field of Systems Engineering, the gender gap is even more pronounced.  Prior to Pure I was used to being one of the only (if not the only) woman in the room.  But at Pure, I am thrilled to work alongside many like-minded female engineers and developers with shared experiences and career paths. Last summer, I was able to bring my daughters to Pure Kids Day where they met intelligent, strong, powerful women who influence this company every day - what an amazing experience.  

Beyond being an organization that delights in diversity, Pure has demonstrated that family and my personal well-being, always comes first.  For the first time since becoming a mother, I feel like I don’t have to apologize for having a family.  I cannot express the power in knowing that it’s okay to balance my family’s priorities with my professional goals, as well as my emotional and mental health.  I have finally found  that work/life balance that seemed elusive for so long.

I came to Pure in an individual contributor role as a Principal Systems Engineer.  In that role I was given ample opportunities to flex my love for collaboration, mentoring and leadership.  In true Pure fashion, my management team recognized those traits and asked if I would consider leading a team of my own.  Today I’m delighted to work alongside and help lead a team of incredibly talented Field Solutions Architects.  Every day provides me the opportunity to learn and grow alongside my team, not only challenging me to develop the skills I already knew I had, but in discovering hidden abilities I didn’t know I was capable of.

When I look back at my journey with Pure, I have realized that Pure Storage didn’t just offer me a job, they offered me the chance to reach my full potential, which is my definition of a dream job.