How Identity Has Influenced a Senior Director of Operations at Tend's Career
Mark's first-generation American identity meant navigating career development independently, leading to early immersion in "the career fire" and fostering a proactive approach to learning from diverse sources. This experience emphasized resourcefulness and the importance of seizing every opportunity, shaping a career built on adaptability and continuous learning.
Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, First-Generation College Graduate, Resourcefulness, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Mark Pesin
Sr. Director of Operations
Tend
University of California, Santa Barbara
N/A
Film, Media Arts, Visual Arts
Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain, Technology
Operations and Project Management
Took Out Loans, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Mark's first-generation American identity led him to independently navigate his career path, fostering self-reliance and resourcefulness.
2. He emphasizes the importance of learning from diverse individuals and leveraging available resources, even without a pre-established family career path.
3. His experience highlights the value of actively seeking opportunities and learning on the job to build a successful career
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a first-generation American, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
My parents came to the US. They didn't speak English and had to navigate and figure things out. They built relatively strong careers.
Because they weren't business owners, I had to figure my career out on my own. I didn't have a business to take over.
I think that was helpful because I was thrown into the fire, the career fire, right after college. This put me in a position where I had to learn from everyone around me.
I had to leverage different resources, like this one, where you learn from people you know and people you don't. Even if you don't have resources at home to set up your career, you still learn things from your family. You'll be forced to learn it in the field.
So, take every opportunity you can.