What A Technology Sourcing Manager At Netflix Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Technology Industry
Nicole, a Technology Sourcing Manager at Netflix, advises that a career in strategic sourcing can be unexpectedly fulfilling, despite not being a commonly sought-after field. This role, which Nicole describes as having "a lot of challenges" and "parallels to being an internal consultant," offers transferable skills valuable to those considering careers in business, law, or management consulting.
Career Exploration, Project Management, Problem-Solving, Communication, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nicole Panzovski
Technology Sourcing Manager
Netflix
UCLA 2016
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Technology
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. A career in strategic sourcing and procurement can be very fulfilling, even if it's not a field you initially considered.
2. Many transferable skills from other fields (business, law, management consulting, project/product/program management) are applicable to a strategic sourcing manager role.
3. Strategic sourcing is a role that may not be widely known, but it offers many challenges and opportunities for personal and professional growth
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
The role of strategic sourcing manager. I wish someone had told me that you can find success and fulfillment in something you didn't think you would land in. I fell into strategic sourcing; it's not like I majored in it or supply chain as an undergrad.
It's not even like it's the first job I would have picked if I were handed a bunch of different options. So, I think it's one of those roles that people don't necessarily actively look for right out of college, but it has been extremely fulfilling.
The one thing I would advise someone looking into a role like this is to understand that if they say "strategic sourcing and procurement," it doesn't sound super fancy, but it is extremely fulfilling. There are a lot of challenges associated with it, and you could say there are many parallels to being an internal consultant.
It's more about opening the door to roles you've never heard of but might find interesting. It turns out they are. I just happened to fall into this role and this type of function.
But I think people pursuing anything, whether you're a numbers person or thinking about getting a law degree after business school, might find this role interesting. The same goes for people persons who want to be a management consultant, project manager, product manager, or program manager.
All of those have key transferable skills that translate into this strategic sourcing manager role. You probably haven't heard of strategic sourcing, but it does a lot of the same things and has the same function. It's extremely fulfilling, but maybe just not the most popular role or one people have heard of before.