Oser sa transition, révéler son potentiel. | Nisrine Elkettani | TEDxESITH

Quick Overview

Nisrine Elkettani concludes that overcoming the fear of making the wrong decision, especially when transitioning careers or fields like moving from pure social sciences to a technical field like Civil Engineering (Materials Science), requires courage and accepting that failure is part of the learning process, as she successfully navigated her own transition despite societal expectations and the initial challenge of not having the necessary technical background.

Key Points: Elkettani made a significant career transition from Social Sciences (Sociology/Anthropology) to Civil Engineering (Materials Science and Ceramics) starting in 2017. Her initial challenges included the lack of technical background and facing skepticism from colleagues who were exclusively male in the construction/engineering sector. The speaker emphasizes that taking risks and making incorrect decisions (like choosing the wrong initial specialization) is crucial for growth, as long as one learns from them. She advises the audience to develop courage to pursue paths that feel right, even if they deviate from established norms or require a significant learning curve. Elkettani highlights that societal validation often lags behind personal ambition, citing a personal experience where she had to convince others of her capabilities in a male-dominated field. The core message is to trust your inner conviction ('do what you can') rather than being paralyzed by the fear of failure or external judgment, especially when embracing challenges. She successfully completed her Master's degree in 2020 and is now working as a technical manager in the construction materials industry.

Context: Nisrine Elkettani delivers a TEDx talk recounting her professional journey, which involved a challenging pivot from studying social sciences to pursuing a career in the highly technical field of Civil Engineering, specializing in Materials Science and Ceramics. She discusses the internal and external barriers she faced, particularly navigating a male-dominated industry and overcoming self-doubt stemming from her non-traditional academic background.