Career Path of a Director of Strategic Partnerships at a Fintech Climate Startup
Rebecca's career path, beginning with a communications major at UCLA, involved a diverse range of experiences, including "a brief stint at a PR internship for wine" and a pivotal six-month internship with the UK government, which led to a five-year role with the British government after a post-graduation teaching stint in Italy. The roles resulted from networking, demonstrating the value of building relationships and exploring various sectors to discover the right fit.
Career Exploration, Networking, International Relations, Government, Startups
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rebecca Saletta
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Fintech Climate Start-up
UCLA
N/a
Communications
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Business Strategy
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Rebecca's career path highlights a willingness to explore different fields, starting with a broad communications major and then gaining experience through internships in PR, the UK government, and teaching English abroad. This highlights the value of diverse experiences in career exploration.
2. Her securing a job with the British government after graduation demonstrates the importance of networking and maintaining relationships with contacts made during internships and college. It showcases how building connections can lead to unexpected job opportunities.
3. Her transition from a role in the British government to a London startup shows adaptability and a proactive approach to career growth. It highlights the potential for career shifts and the benefits of seeking new challenges in different sectors, like moving from public to private sector.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? Please start with your experiences in college and any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
I didn't know what I wanted to do, and honestly, I still don't. I started at UCLA as a communications major, which was very broad, thank goodness.
I wasn't going into marketing or PR; I liked comm from a more global perspective. I was really interested in diplomacy and international relations.
I had a brief stint at a PR internship in college for wine, which was super random. I loved that, but I decided I didn't want to get into wine PR.
Then I ended up getting an internship at the UK government. I went to Century City, near UCLA, where the local consulate was oriented. I did a three-month internship there and extended for the next three months. That was my senior year.
It was a super cool experience. I kind of got to work for a foreign government as a student. I liked it so much that I got to extend into the summer after graduation.
Ultimately, I decided to go abroad for a few months and taught English in Italy. I came back and got a job with the British government, which was my first job out of college.
This came from relationships I built at UCLA. I learned about what I wanted and what I didn't want, took a break, stepped back, graduated, and then reached out to my old contacts there. I asked if they could look at my resume, and they ended up having a position open and welcomed me back to the team.
I worked there for about five years and then jumped to my current role, which is for a London startup.