College Experiences That Helped a Founder at Femme Financial Coaching Succeed
Despite failing a college entrepreneurship class due to a demanding work schedule of "30, 40 hours a week" running a business, Haley's undergraduate experience prioritized networking and practical skill-building through internships, allowing her to "demand more" in her first role and negotiate compensation effectively throughout her career; this demonstrates the value of real-world experience and strategic networking in building a successful career.
Networking, Entrepreneurship, Negotiation, Internships, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Haley Kowalewski
Founder
Femme Financial Coaching
University of California, Santa Barbara
N/A
International Relations & Affairs
Coaching, Speaking & Writing, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Internships provide valuable real-world experience and can lead to full-time roles after graduation.
2. Networking is crucial for career success; build your skills and connect with people in your desired field.
3. Negotiating compensation is a key skill; experience and a strong skillset empower you to demand higher pay.
Transcript
Q12: College ideas for success
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career? I had no idea. I guess I thought I was super into entrepreneurship and sales, but in my undergrad I was working so much. I was working 30, 40 hours a week.
At the time, I was doing this role, it was like an internship that turned into a full-time job right after college. It was running a business. Yet I failed entrepreneurship in college because I didn't have time to go to the classes, as I was literally running a business.
So I think in undergrad, what I did was I networked heavily. I always thought, okay, I'm going to be putting in the work now so that when I go into my first role after college, I'll be able to ask for more money. It did allow me to demand more when I got my first job.
I ended up negotiating my compensation a lot after that because I had this skillset to back it up, and I was able to really hit the ground running. So, I would say to anybody who's an undergrad, internships are amazing for you. Networking is huge.
They say, and you might have heard it before, your net worth is your network. So you really want to find people who are in spaces that you want to be in. Initially, maybe you don't have much value to add to them. Don't try to chase anybody.
Build up your skillset and then you'll run into them later. You want to start getting into their orbit in some capacity and seeing what they're doing. And then you can meet up with them later. Hopefully, that helped.
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