How Identity Has Influenced A Senior Manager, Strategy And Special Projects's Career At Professional City Orchestra
Early in their career in consulting, the senior manager often found themself as "the only one who looked like" them in meetings, highlighting the importance of seeking out mentors and sponsors. This experience, coupled with working for organizations that prioritize representation, built their confidence, allowing them to believe that their "opinions and experiences are valid," regardless of how different they may be.
Overcoming Challenges, Mentorship, Leadership, Representation, Confidence
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kevin Ma
Sr. Manager, Strategy & Special Projects
Professional City Orchestra
The University of Texas at Austin, 2014
MBA - UCLA Anderson School of Management
Business Management & Admin
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Business Strategy
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Kevin's experience as one of few Asian-Americans in consulting highlights the importance of representation and seeking mentors.
2. He emphasizes the value of finding mentors and sponsors who share similar experiences or understand the unique challenges of navigating a career as a minority.
3. Kevin's journey shows how building confidence and feeling that one's voice and experiences are valued takes time, effort, and support from mentors and sponsors.
Transcript
As an Asian-American, how has that impacted the way you navigate your career?
This wasn't something I thought about when I started my career, but it's something I experienced. My career in consulting often meant I was the only one who looked like me in a given room.
It's been important for me to seek out mentors and sponsors in the organizations I've worked for. These are people who either share common experiences, like being a second-generation immigrant, or who understand the nuances of continuing to pave the way for others.
Everyone has a unique voice, story, and ideas to contribute. This is especially important when dealing with a sense of belonging and understanding the representation that exists within an organization.
For me, it's always been important to work for organizations that have considered this or have structures in place. This gives me confidence that I bring something valuable to the table and that my opinions and experiences are valid, no matter how different they are from those around me.
It took a couple of years of actively thinking and talking with mentors and sponsors to internalize this. I feel I've come through on the other side as a much more confident person in my work.
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