How a strong professional network gifts its members the support they need to stretch and grow

Being able to give and receive advice from people whose judgment you value is a wonderful asset on any career journey, Fastly Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, Nicola Gerber writes.

One of the most important lessons I've learnt during my 20 plus years in the workforce is this: you make your own luck.

Opportunities to take part in interesting projects and initiatives, and advance into roles involving greater responsibility and challenge, don't drop from the sky or, for those of us working in the IT sector as I'm fortunate to do, emerge from the ether!

Invariably they come about as a result of one or several of the five Ps: preparation, proactivity, persistence, passion, and a positive mindset. The willingness to step outside your comfort zone is also essential.

The power of purpose

So is intentionality: being purposeful in the choices you make, particularly when it comes to considering which opportunities you should pursue and which should be left to fall by the wayside.

While it sounds deceptively simple, the advice to be deliberate in all my decisions has proven to be one of the most powerful pieces of wisdom I've ever received.

It was given by a professional associate and friend whose counsel I sought many years ago when pondering my next career move; one of many talented and dedicated individuals who've supported me on my career journey over the years.

My friend helped me to see that being deliberate doesn't only mean giving judicious consideration to all your options and selecting the one that stacks up most favourably, on balance.

It also means committing to your decision wholeheartedly, irrespective of the outcome – and not castigating yourself for your lack of foreknowledge, should things not pan out as you expected and hoped they would. 

Doing so alleviates the fear of making a wrong call – something many people experience when they're presented with a significant choice – and makes it easier to move forward.

Being at peace with your choices 

The value of this advice was reinforced to me during the recent pandemic when I was offered a major role – a big job which would allow me to advance to the next level in my career. The sticking point that stopped me leaping at the opportunity? The role required relocation to the US and Singapore is where my family and I have built our home. 

Whether it would be right to uproot us all to move to a place where we would not have a strong support system or the same lifestyle benefits we enjoyed in Singapore was the $64 million question for me at that time. My doubts were compounded by a sense that I hadn't yet 'finished' the role I was in.

Reaching out to another associate in my network, a woman whose career trajectory and life experiences were not dissimilar to my own, and sharing my dilemma helped me clarify my thoughts and make the deliberate decision that I would respectfully decline to be considered.

I've subsequently had the privilege of returning the compliment: lending her an ear and giving her my perspective on issues she's faced with in her own professional life.

The give and take that's good for everyone

For me, these collegiate exchanges, in which help is freely sought and readily given, aren't just a life affirming reminder that human beings, in the main, are thoughtful and generous creatures whose instinct is to look out for and uplift one another. 

They also illustrate the value of building and maintaining a network of fellow professionals – peers who understand the environment you operate in, the pressures you experience and the often conflicting priorities you're forced to contend with.

Those of us in leadership positions have a responsibility to ensure we model this dynamic in our workplaces, ensuring they operate in the same supportive manner, as spaces where individuals, both women and men, can give, take, gain and grow. As we celebrate International Women's Day in 2026 and the progress we've made to date, that's something we can collectively give to the next generation of workers and leaders.