On this episode, I speak to McKenna Sweazey about how she’s cultivated a network and worked with mentors to make moves in her career.
We’ve all heard the truism “it’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know”. As people progress in their careers, their relationships influence their opportunity set and ability to succeed more and more. And, often, the most interesting and important jobs are landed through referrals or aren’t even publicized. That said, many of us, myself included, cringe when we hear the word “networking”, and feel awkward about asking someone to be our mentor. From what I’ve observed, that’s usually because we view networking and mentorship as transactional in nature. But they really don’t need to be. In fact, I’d argue that the best professional relationships are based on mutual affinity and genuine care.
My guest on this episode, McKenna, is the VP of Marketing at a Silicon Valley based startup called Truthset. Prior to this role, she was based in London where she led a team regional Marketing managers at the Financial Times. Over the course of her career, she has formed important relationships with people (especially those in her INSEAD MBA network) willing to connect her with great opportunities and help her navigate challenging situations. Tune in to hear her advice on networking and mentorship for career success!
Career Queens Podcast is a business podcast that spotlights career conversations with millennial women making moves in tech.
Quotes from the Episode
You often need an external person to speak to. Once you involve someone internally at the company, there could be gossip, there could be other ramifications. But if you’re talking to someone external, getting advice on how to handle things, that’s really crucial to doing doing the job well.
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