Significant Career Lesson From A Chief Strategy Officer At America Achieves
Allison's most significant career lesson centers on prioritizing values—"impact and connection, and equity"—and the importance of "people you work with," building trust, and ensuring a strong connection with colleagues. This focus on values and relationships guides their career decisions, helping them determine where they thrive and when to make changes.
Executive/Leadership, Values and Impact, Teamwork and Collaboration, Career Development, Work-Life Balance
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Allison Bajracharya
Chief Strategy Officer
America Achieves
Middlebury College, 2000
USC, MPP
Environmental & Related Sciences
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Business Strategy
Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. "Prioritize values in your work: Focus on impact, connection, and equity when choosing roles and projects."
2. "The importance of teamwork: Building trust and strong relationships with colleagues is crucial for career success and job satisfaction."
3. "Reflect on your values and work style: Take time to understand what matters most to you and use that to guide your career decisions and team choices."
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
For me, the most important things that have contributed to my enjoyment of work are being really clear on the values I want to bring to my work and see in the work I'm doing. I think a lot about impact, connection, and equity.
It's really important for me to see those values reflected in my work and that the people I work with matter. Regardless of the substance of the work, you're likely going to spend a lot of time with them.
You want to build trust, learn from them, and be able to connect with them. So, I place a lot of value on how you think about your values, which may evolve over time.
What would be a fun exercise to reflect on as you're going into interviews and getting a sense of who you'll be working with? This is definitely hard to figure out in an interview.
We're really trying to place value on that as you go through your career trajectory and figure out when you're ready to stay and when you're ready to move. I think that's really important.