Shabnam Golmohammadi

Tell me about yourself and your journey into big tech.

My career started at Deloitte but I realized very early on that it probably wasn’t the right fit for me. I stayed for two years because, back then, everyone said, “If you don’t like your job, stay for two years - it looks better on your resume.” Luckily, that narrative is changing. I love that the younger generation is shifting some of those career norms.

I had gotten that job in college - I had it lined up since junior year because I went through their accounting recruitment process. It wasn’t straight financial statement auditing. We worked with company systems, ensuring everything was secure. It wasn’t exactly cybersecurity either, but close. I was doing a lot of program and project management, working directly with clients, interviewing them, and writing reports.

To be honest though, I hated it and eventually, I got really burned out. I was juggling so many projects that they started to blur together and I hit a wall. I literally couldn’t get out of bed. That’s when I said, “Okay, I have to make a change.”

I didn’t know what to do to leave. I felt like I was doing something so specific within Deloitte that I wouldn’t be able to get another job. I knew I didn’t want to do anything related to what I was doing there, so I had to pivot completely and really tailor my resume to highlight transferable skills. It was a long process. I just started applying to whatever made sense - financial analyst, strategy, planning analyst, business analyst roles.

I knew SQL from college, and I had an MIS degree, so I brushed up on those skills through Coursera because I kept seeing SQL as a preferred skill on job postings. I needed to be ready to talk about it in interviews.

Of course, I got rejected a lot. But I also heard back from companies like Uber and Stitch Fix. I actually loved Stitch Fix - I used to want to be a fashion designer and almost applied to FIDM. But I psyched myself out and pulled out of the interview process even though the hiring manager encouraged me to stay. My confidence was just too low at the time.

With Uber, I was super excited. My cousin worked there, but I didn’t tell her I applied. I didn’t want to ask for help or risk failing and everyone knowing. So I just applied cold. Luckily, Deloitte looked good on my resume, and the interview went really well.

They were hiring from all kinds of backgrounds - they weren’t expecting people to have ride-share or food delivery experience, especially because Uber Eats was so new. It was a great time to join, and I think it came down to timing. Pivots like that are hard, but sometimes companies are looking for people from consulting or banking. I was doing brand new work, and something in my application or interview must’ve resonated. I was shocked I got the offer - I thought the call was to say I didn’t get it!

That’s awesome. For jobseekers, I think that’s an interesting strategy to point out - to look for roles in newer areas or emerging teams.

Exactly. There are so many adjacent tech companies now - health tech, ed tech, fashion tech - where people can pivot in with industry experience and bring that to a company building a technology platform. It doesn’t always have to be a pure tech company like Apple or Oracle. There are so many pathways into tech.

And if a company is building out a new team that needs more generalists? That’s often a great entry point.

During your time at Uber, what did a typical day look like and what were your main job responsibilities?

I stayed within strategy and planning in business operations, but the scope of work evolved a lot. At first, I was in the weeds with SQL, building dashboards and running reports - basically doing a data analyst role with a strategic twist. I did a lot of competitive analysis.

Later, I transitioned into a global role, which was amazing. I learned so much - especially in the first two years. Eventually, I became a team lead and had a great relationship with my manager. That’s when I really found my stride.

I started doing more program management with a strategic lens - like leading a high-visibility international business model project, working with tax and legal, and partnering with executives. That helped me get promoted to manager, and my team ended up running the annual strategic planning cycle for the business.

We worked with finance on projections, partnered with product to build roadmaps, and coordinated with marketing and regional teams across 30 countries. It took about six months every year and involved tons of meetings, alignment, and visibility.

It was robust - and political. That’s normal when you’re navigating different agendas. But I learned so much about leadership, influence, and working with all kinds of people.

I’m sure so many of those insights are what you share with your clients through your leadership coaching business, My Synchronicity. Can you talk a bit about that?

I started my coaching business because I saw a big gap in how women are supported at work. Women are ambitious, but priorities shift - especially in our 30s. Some want to start families, others want to keep climbing, and some want both.

I wanted to offer support without judgment. Whether someone wants to pull back, push forward, or do both - I help them figure out what a fulfilling life and career look like for them.

I love helping leaders - especially those who feel stuck or want to elevate themselves or their teams. That’s where I spend most of my time.

Interested in working with Shabnam? Connect with her on LinkedIn or book a career strategy call.

Shabnam is a Career & Leadership Coach, Workshop Facilitator, and Speaker. She specializes in helping women land new roles, get promoted, and thrive as leaders in male dominated industries like Tech. She’s coached over 50+ leaders since 2021. Before coaching, she was a leader at Uber within Uber Eats’ Global Strategy team. She is a certified coach with the ICF (ACC) and as a Co-Active Coach (CPCC), one of the most rigorous and well-respected coaching programs in the world.

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