Sarah M

How did you start building your network?

My approach to starting my network was to be very intentional about who I wanted in my network. I started by thinking about the jobs / industries I was interested in and looking up people on LinkedIn that are working in that area. I reached out for informational interviews to learn more about their career journeys. I also researched the companies I was interested and looked at people currently working at those companies for informational interviews. In addition to starting your network, it’s important to remember that you need to maintain those networks (even when you’re not looking for a job).

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

It’s a journey, not a destination! Cast a wide net and don’t limit yourself to one job / field. If you’re not sure what you want to do, that’s ok! Knowing what you don’t want to do is just as useful as knowing what you do want to do.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I’ve always gotten energized by helping people so it was natural for me to want to study psychology in undergrad. I explored the many careers in the psychology field and determined that I was not interested in counseling / therapy. I decided to get a minor in Business and I was really intrigued by a Management class because it focused on helping people but from a business perspective. I quickly discovered the field of organizational psychology and HR and realized it was a great intersection between my two main interests, psychology and business. Overall, I did not know all along and I think to be relevant it’s ever-evolving!

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

Start by thinking about what your intrinsic interests are (i.e what gives you energy, what activities do you like to do on your own free will). It’s important to ask yourself those questions because a career should be something that you like to do rather than feeling like it’s a job that you have to do. I think my parents gave me this advice.