Significant Career Lesson From a Product Manager at Acer
Bernice's significant career lesson centers on the importance of diverse internship experiences to discover one's interests, followed by strategic networking. This networking proved crucial for their career pivot from sales to product management at Acer, demonstrating that "networking is really important."
Networking, Career Pivoting, Internships, Career Exploration, Industry Knowledge
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Bernice Li
Product Manager
Acer
National Taiwan University/2016
UCLA Anderson MBA
Fine Arts, Music, Marketing
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
International Student, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Try different internships to explore interests
2. Networking is crucial for career pivoting
3. Building a network in your industry can lead to unexpected opportunities
Transcript
What's a lesson that has been significant for you and your career?
First, it's important to try different internships during university. This is because you have more time to explore your interests while still being a student.
I had three different internships during university. Through these varied jobs, I learned about my interests and the industry I wanted to join.
After graduating, I found that networking with people in the same industry is also important. For example, I worked in sales before, and in my country, it's difficult to pivot to a completely different job within the same industry, like from sales to a product manager.
I got this opportunity because I networked with someone at Acer when I was in sales. When they had an opening, they gave me a chance to interview. That's how I transitioned to being a product manager at Star.
So, I think networking is really important for a new career journey.