My Journey With D2L
Five years ago, my family and I made a big move to Canada with an ambition to build a new life. As I started exploring career options for myself, I was looking for something outside of classroom teaching, but related to education. I decided to go back to school and pursue a Master of Education from the University of Toronto. Being a recent graduate and a former educator, I had a fresh perspective toward education and came back to the workforce with a ton of bubbling ideas and passion to bring meaningful change in education. I decided to apply at D2L, as I resonated with its mission of “transforming the way the world learns.” It was an amazing interview process that felt more like a candid conversation with the hiring managers. Soon after, I started my journey in the customer success department at D2L.
My passion for diversity and inclusion inspired me to become one of the leads for IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity Equity and Allyship) committee that focuses on inclusive experiences for D2Lers. As part of IDEA initiatives, committee members take responsibilities for events on diversity such as book clubs, lunch and learns, and informative sessions on cultures, experiences, conscious-unconscious bias and more.– Puneet Kaur, Technical Account Manager, Optimization Services, D2L
Support From my Manager and Team
My managers helped ensure I felt supported with the resources I needed to perform well. However, deep down I was a bit overwhelmed, as I was going through two major changes at the time—from India to Canada and from my career from teaching to edtech. It took me some time to adapt to these changes. With the help of my team and the D2L Wave courses, I was soon building the best D2L Brightspace solutions for my clients. After 2.5 years in the role, I made another move to join the optimization services department as a technical account manager. The senior leadership team within optimization services ensured that my achievements were valued and took efforts above and beyond to make me feel comfortable in my new role.
Found My Calling
As I built a career trajectory for myself at D2L, I wanted to do some meaningful work for other employees who are immigrants that helps them showcase their talent in the most effective manner. I envision diversity and inclusion beyond representation where people feel safe to voice their opinion, be part of critical conversations, and be able to build a career path that resonates with their ambitions and capabilities. It’s truly inspiring for racialized individuals to see some concrete and equitable actions taken by their company. It can help motivate them to deliver at their best and stay longer too. Listening to and thus eliminating barriers for BIPOC individuals in their career goes a long way and helps them thrive in the most beautiful way.
My Passion for IDEA
My passion for diversity and inclusion inspired me to become one of the leads for IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity Equity and Allyship) committee that focuses on inclusive experiences for D2Lers. As part of IDEA initiatives, committee members take responsibilities for events on diversity such as book clubs, lunch and learns, and informative sessions on cultures, experiences, conscious-unconscious bias and more. We work on building a safe space for every D2Ler where they can openly share their thoughts. Through IDEA, I want to tell people that it’s okay if we didn’t understand western one-liners, watched different tv shows, and speak like people who grew up here. What’s more important is the exuberant talent we bring to the table and the incredible ideas we have to offer.
Inspiring People Around Me
Immigration can be hard, but it can also bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences. I feel lucky to be a D2Ler, as the company helped contribute to my growth. I recommend connecting with your managers and the employee resource groups, as they can help you in creating a career path that aligns with your goals. Diversity can bring new perspectives and growth—and that can be your superpower.
If you resonate with my thoughts and have any ideas, I would love to hear from you and widen my knowledge on improving DEI experience. Just keep trusting yourself and you can achieve amazing results.
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