Your Career Advice Roundtable
8 Women Leaders Share Their Best Tips
To celebrate Women’s History Month, The O’Daily is tapping into the collective wisdom and badassery of women leaders in the Atlanta startup ecosystem and asking:
What’s the best career advice you’ve received?
1. Build Mutually Rewarding Relationships
“Seek support from the networks you have at every opportunity and build relationships that can be mutually rewarding— you always have meaningful perspective to share up and down the organization ladder!”
-Susan Nethero, Co-Chair of Golden Seeds Atlanta + CEO Emerita of Intimacy
2. Stay Open
“Always be open to opportunities that don’t fit into your specific line of work. It’s amazing the connections you can make when you are open and not too rigid in life and work.”
- Amelia Schaffner, Founding Director of Emory Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
3. No Regrets
“Make choices now based on how you may feel about them in 20 years. It will help you live a life without regrets.”
- Karen Houghton, CEO of Infinite Giving
4. Always Ask
“Don’t be afraid to ask. The worst someone can do is say no.”
- Jennifer Singh, Co-founder of Understory
5. Do the Internal Work
“Great leadership starts from within. You have to do the work to authentically stand in your power.”
- Blanca Catalina Garcia, CEO of BCG Innovation
6. Be Genuinely Helpful
“When you're meeting new people, ask how you can best help them in reaching their goals. Without expecting something in return.”
- Aly Merritt, Managing Director of Atlanta Tech Village
7. Focus on Experiences and Skills
“The first decade or so of your career should be spent collecting experiences and tools for your toolbox. Your first job isn't your last, so don't put pressure on yourself to have the perfect job, performance, or work environment. Your career is a story comprised of many chapters.”
- Sara Saxner-Coughlin, Head of Platform at Overline
8. Do What You Love
“Make your passion your vocation.”
- Jacqui Chew, CMO at Liquid + Licensee of TedxAtlanta
Best of all was the tongue-in-cheek advice from Amy Love, Director at Boomtown Accelerators:
“Be careful who you get career advice from.”
What other great career advice have you gotten? Bonus points if it’s from a woman who is making history!