eBay Employees Share the Advice They Would Give to their Younger Selves

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of women everywhere, while acknowledging the need to accelerate gender balance.

For nearly 25 years, eBay has been a strong advocate for fostering diversity and inclusion. In the spirit of mentorship and empowerment, we asked some of our employees to share the advice they would give to their younger selves, to help inspire the next generation of women.

Andrea Stairs
General Manager, Canada & Latin America

“Though I always knew I wanted a career in business, my path has not been a straight one: The 20-year-old Andrea studying medieval history would never have believed a career in tech lay ahead. While I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, I would tell my younger self to be more receptive to opportunities and more open to failure – I would have liked to have said yes to more things that seemed unfamiliar or beyond my capabilities.”

Kristen Filice
Senior Manager, B2C Seller Marketing, Australia & New Zealand

“Be boldly and fearlessly true to yourself! Be human. Connect with and let people celebrate you for who you are. Celebrate and encourage others in the same way. There were years I tried to put myself into a box of what I thought successful people in business were. At some point, I realized that authenticity makes all the difference. Be vulnerable. Be unapologetically you, without the fear of not being taken seriously. And with that weight off your shoulders, take your seat at the table. Drive change, create opportunities, learn, and build genuine relationships. When you bring your diverse perspective, passions, life and personality into everything you do, nothing can stop you.”

Monica Penrose
Senior Administrative Assistant, San Jose

"If I could, I would tell my younger self to live life to the absolute fullest, be spontaneous and have more fun. To dream big, be fearless and always be confident and know that I am enough!"

Ramya Kumaradhev
Business Systems Manager, StubHub, San Francisco

“You are the best possible version of you. Might sound cliché, but you must believe that you add a certain value to your surroundings. When given only two options, do not ever hesitate to explore a third one. The world will always try and limit your choices, and it’s up to you to explore and be a gamechanger. Reduce the time interval between thinking and actually doing. Read, read, read... never stop reading! I am saying ‘read’ instead of ‘learn’ for a reason. You read with pleasure and learn with a purpose. Travel, meet and interact with people. There are plenty of connections made online, but the meaningful ones still get made the old-school way.”

Emily Kim
Manager, Employee Communications, Korea

“Live your life and don’t try to live up to other people’s expectations. I used to feel pressured to be a ‘good girl’ and do what I was told to do or what I was ‘supposed’ to do. It’s good to listen to other people’s advice, but don’t let it get in your way. No one, even your parents, knows yourself better than you do. At the end of the day, you are the one who lives your life and be responsible for it. So trust your gut and follow your passion.”

Jessica Kreienkamp
Head of Fashion & Sports, Dreilinden

“Gut feeling has turned out to be the best career advice. I used to validate any new opportunity with friends and people that know me well. Nevertheless, keep an open mind for opportunities that have not been on your radar initially: there are many routes to get to your ‘dream job.’ And most importantly: always make sure to pursue something that you are passionate about it. You will be dedicating a significant part of your lifetime to it.”

Helen Kim
Vice President, CPT Operations, San Jose

“First, pursue your passion. You will perform your best when you are passionate about something. As you progress in your job/career and find opportunities to make your work more interesting and impactful, make your pitch. You don’t get what you don’t ask for! Second, build your network. Find those who will advocate for you, open new doors for you, and guide you in your career journey. Finally, whatever you do, hard work is an imperative. But remember, your work won’t always speak for itself, so create your own narrative.”

Looking for more ways to celebrate International Women’s Day? Check out our partnership with Dress for Success for the #YourHourHerPower campaign and our launch of Superheroine HQ, the world’s first all-female superhero store.