College Experiences That Helped A People Partner At Cisco Succeed
Carolyn's college success stemmed from prioritizing internships, gaining valuable experience in "work norms" even if the specific job content didn't directly translate to their current role. Networking and informational interviews with peers and alumni proved equally crucial, exposing Carolyn to unexpected career paths and helping them discover "what work they actually like doing."
Networking, Internships, Career Exploration, Communication, Mentorship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Carolyn Wright
People Consultant - People Partner
Cisco Systems, Inc
American University
UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
International Relations & Affairs
Technology
Human Resources (HR)
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Prioritize internships to gain experience in work norms and office culture. Even if the internship work isn't directly related to your future career, it provides valuable soft skills and workplace exposure.
2. Network with peers and alumni to learn about diverse career paths and job opportunities. Talking to people who are a few years ahead can expose you to unanticipated career options.
3. Actively seek internships and work experiences to explore different company cultures and management styles to find the best fit for your personality and work preferences. This iterative process helps you discover what you enjoy and excel at.
Transcript
What did you do in college to set you up for success in your career at American University?
In undergrad, I tried to prioritize doing two or three internships. I think that was really helpful for me to start my career on a pretty good footing.
What's funny is I ended up not really doing actual work related to those internships, but it also just helped me get used to work norms. Things like email etiquette, how to communicate about work progress, or just the office politics. The stuff around the work is pretty consistent between offices. So even though the actual work and job titles I had as an intern didn't really translate into what I did after college, it still got me used to what office work was like. I credit that as a big learning experience.
In grad school, I did one internship. I ended up returning full-time to Cisco, where I had interned. It was a great way to understand the company because there's only so much you can learn from talking to people, doing informational interviews, or looking at their website or social media. It's a great starting point, but you won't really know until you get there. The internship is a way to see what the work is really like, get behind the scenes, and figure out if you like it.
While at school, I also spoke to my peers and graduates who had gone before me. I asked about their experiences and what kind of work they liked. I think there's so much out there that when you're in school, you don't realize are jobs. I didn't know my job was a job until after I graduated, or that this was even a career path.
The more you can talk to people a year or two ahead of you, the better. Ask them what they've seen, what they've learned, what jobs they've gotten or interviewed for, and where they've interned. This will open you up to pockets of work that a lot of us just don't hear about. I certainly didn't hear about them in high school. Maybe in undergrad you start to learn, but some things took grad school and direct company experience to learn.
I don't think there's one particular class you have to take or a must-read book. It's more about taking advantage of the social network within a community and learning from each other. Try things out, like doing an internship or two, and working with different leaders and management styles. This helps you understand what culture fits you best, what brings out the best work, and what work you actually like doing. I think that's something that has really paid off every time I've done it.