By Savannah Ramirez
Kindra Ontiveros is a graduating philosophy student at UC Santa Barbara who also works a full-time job for a local aerospace company that performs both technological development and defense systems analysis.
During the fall of 2018, Ontiveros was offered a program management position and started immediately. Shortly after, the government awarded her department a million-dollar contract for an aerospace research project. Ontiveros is now the lead financial advisor for the project.
In a recent interview she spoke about switching majors in college, the “imposter syndrome” that can come with unexpected success, and her growing confidence at work in the aerospace industry.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got started in the project management department?
A. I went to the UCSB job fair and found a lady there that worked for [the company], talked to her, and was quickly hired as an accounting intern within a few weeks. I really liked working in the accounting department and it was a good, stable job with a lot of potential for growth. At that time, I had just transferred to UCSB and was studying economics and accounting, so it was a perfect fit. However, I didn’t get into the major and switched to philosophy, but I honestly love it now.
The company president at the time asked if I would be interested in joining the project management team, to which I said yes. He then hired me onto his team as an assistant project manager. That happened pretty quickly. Within six months I had moved from being an accounting intern to managing a few big contracts while trying to learn everything really quickly. It was a pretty fast transition.
Q. What has helped you remain positive when you were forced to change majors?
A. Probably having a good support group of friends, family, peers and mentors who have also gone through hard times in school and have become successful as lawyers, business founders, and department managers. Having a job while in school helps me to stay positive; it reassures me that your major doesn’t really matter after all. Philosophy has also helped me think very critically of situations and that’s super important when managing contracts. I love being able to think outside the box at work and bring a different perspective to something.
Q. You not only changed majors but changed departments at the company you work for. What was your biggest fear about leaving the accounting department behind for a job with more responsibility?
A. It was the thought that the departments might have some sort of animosity between them and I didn’t want any hard feelings…I was definitely nervous about starting a job I had absolutely no knowledge or background in. I often asked, “Why me?” I felt as though I wasn’t capable.
Q. How has the aerospace industry prepared you for your career?
A. I feel like one thing that’s nice about working in a professional setting is working with some sort of peer or mentor who is always checking your work or watching your back. The aerospace industry has allowed me to befriend many people and network with people I didn’t think I’d ever get to know… I personally believe that having someone check your work helps you to be more successful in the long run. I am also grateful that this company has even given me the opportunity to be a project manager. That alone is an opportunity I wouldn’t have been given anywhere else. It was nice that they saw something in me and let me do it. It has changed my career for the better.
Q. Let’s talk about the big government project, which we can’t describe due to confidentiality. Did you feel prepared for this project?
A. I didn’t even know the scope of it until I started working on its finances and I was not prepared for it… It was a little bit of both putting in more hours and “faking it until you make it” that helped me finally trust myself and my capabilities. I feel like I have a much better understanding now; it’s helped me to understand the finances on other projects too. Also, I’ve learned to have a lot of confidence in who I am and have realized that I am smart. Very smart. Although I will say I have felt like an imposter in my role. I feel like because I didn’t get into the major that I wanted to, I am not good or qualified enough to get the job that I want. I have not even graduated yet, so how am I able to do the job that I am doing, you know? There are many days that I go into work and think that. But most days, I don’t think about all that. I just do my job the best I can and know how.
Q. According to Forbes magazine, “Imposter Syndrome is the phenomenon that is characterized by the feeling that our successes can be attributed to mere luck, rather than our own skills or qualifications.” What would you say to others who feel like an “imposter” in their roles?
A. I would say to not give up and to believe in yourself. You are in the position that you are in for a reason. You have the job that you do because you are able to do it (laughs). Please emphasize to anyone reading this that this is gold…and true. I’ve learned to just ignore the thoughts I have and tell myself that I am here for a reason. I know I’ve got this.
Q. You must be very proud of yourself. Is there anything you wish someone had told you prior to saying yes to a major player in the aerospace industry?
A. Yes: to have negotiated a higher pay. As a woman, it would have been important to negotiate what my time is worth because a lot of woman don’t normally do that. I also wasn’t aware that a huge part of the job is just managing people. It’s managing how many hours they should work on a part of the project and that ties into finance. It’s also a lot of balance: holding the team together and making sure everything’s running smoothly and in accordance with one another. Had I known I would be doing all of this I would have negotiated. As for having self-doubts, I wish someone had told me to get rid of those thoughts as they came. It would have helped me realize just how capable I am.
Savannah Ramirez is a fourth-year philosophy major at UC Santa Barbara.