Muslim Women in STEM

The best career advice I ever got-

“There’s nothing more valuable than someone who can just figure it out.”

Do the work.

Ask the right questions.

Get it done.

Repeat.

That mindset is rare and people will fight over you if you have it.

But here’s what took me years to understand: figuring things out fast is only half the equation.

The other half is judgment.

Without it, you’re just efficiently solving the wrong problem.

Moving fast in the wrong direction. Looking busy while missing the point.

The people who truly stand out aren’t just self-starters they’re self-starters who pause long enough to make sure they’re solving the right problem.

They reduce friction.

Remove ambiguity.

Keep things moving.

And they do it without needing their hand held at every turn.

That combination, ownership + judgment — is what separates good employees from indispensable ones.

If this resonated, repost it for someone early in their career who needs to hear it.

Are you still waiting ??

I’ve seen it in my career coaching sessions.

Smart. Capable. Talented people.

Waiting for the right moment to ask for the promotion.

Waiting until they feel ready to negotiate the raise.

Waiting for a sign before making the career change.

But here’s what they’re really doing —

They’re giving themselves permission to wait.

And it feels responsible.

It feels strategic.

It even looks like patience from the outside.

It’s not.

It’s procrastination in a tailored suit.

The moment you’ve been waiting for?

👉🏽It was last quarter.
👉🏽It was last year.
👉🏽It was the day you first thought about it.

The people moving forward in their careers aren’t more qualified than you.

They’re not luckier.

They’re not more ready.

They just stopped asking for permission.

So here’s your sign. Your permission slip. Your nudge.

✔️Ask for the promotion this week.
✔️Schedule that conversation about your salary.
✔️Send the application.
✔️Make the call.
✔️Update the CV.

The “perfect” career move starts with one imperfect, uncomfortable, courageous step.

Not when the moment is perfect and when the timing aligns, when you feel 100% ready, when the stars cooperate.

There is only now and now is all there ever was.

You’ll spend over 90,000 hours of your life at work.

That’s one-third of your lifetime.

So if your job feels like it’s slowly draining the life out of you, if it takes everything you’ve got and gives nothing back, it’s time to pause and reflect.

Even the best jobs have tough days.

But if every day feels heavy, unfulfilling, or meaningless, that’s a sign something deeper needs to change.

👉🏽Maybe it’s finding a new role in a healthier environment.

👉🏽 Maybe it’s transforming how you show up in your current job.

👉🏽 Or maybe it’s taking a temporary pay cut for long-term peace and purpose.

Because your work shapes your life. And settling for less than what lights you up is never the answer.

If your life is constantly at the mercy of others, your boss, your parents, your friends, then your direction will always be determined by them too.

Nothing changes until you own everything.

So, stop blaming. Start believing.

You owe it to yourself to take that leap of faith, to choose courage over comfort, and to believe that you can create the career (and life) you actually want.

If you agree, then let me know what’s stopping you from creating it?

Things not working right now is not a signal to lower your standards.

It’s a signal to review and improve your strategy.

The market is hard. Yes.

The industry is shifting. Yes.

Doors have closed. Yes.

And none of that changes what you are worth.

Your worth is not determined by who hasn’t recognised it yet.

Know it. Name it. Negotiate from it.

Walk away from what disrespects it.

And keep walking until you find what matches it

Demand the best! Accept nothing less. 👊

#ᴋɴᴏᴡʏᴏᴜʀᴡᴏʀᴛʜ