How Identity Has Influenced a Product Marketing Manager at Bosch's Career
Navigating a male-dominated industry, the Product Marketing Manager found success through mentorship and sponsorship, identifying "women who seem to have it all together" as valuable resources and recognizing the importance of a male sponsor to advocate for advancement. This strategy proved crucial in overcoming challenges and achieving career goals, even while acknowledging the difficulty of breaking into "the boys club."
Mentorship, Sponsorship, Networking, Overcoming Challenges, Gender Inequality
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Courtney Wright
Product Marketing Manager
Bosch
USC
UCLA Anderson MBA
History, Art History
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Electronics & Semiconductors
Communication and Marketing
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Mentorship and sponsorship are crucial for career advancement, especially for women in male-dominated industries.
2. Finding both female and male mentors/sponsors who can advocate for you and provide guidance is essential.
3. Breaking into male-dominated circles can be challenging, and sometimes, one may not even want to be a part of it, highlighting the importance of finding supportive allies within the industry
Transcript
As a woman in a male-dominated industry, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
I definitely think that some doors are harder to open as a woman in a male-dominated industry, but you can get there through mentorship and sponsorship. What that has looked like for me is identifying women who I work with who, in my view, seem to have it all together. Whether it's balancing their career, family, succeeding in their role, and are well respected and liked by top management.
Often, they have a wealth of knowledge and information to share with young women who are coming up. I think part two of that is finding a man who can sponsor you and really be your advocate at a higher level. This is still the norm in a lot of different industries.
It's very difficult for a woman to break into the "boys' club," and honestly, sometimes I don't even really want to be there. So, having somebody who can vouch for you, who might be able to recommend you for new projects or speak about your talents and your skills, and how you've added value to their team and what they're doing, can really go a long way.