What's in it for me?

"There are so many sharing platforms out there. You're adding another one?"
- what you might be thinking

There is already a defined need for this platform. For example, it is the same need that every university alumni online network has been created to serve: to connect individuals currently attending or previously attended their respective schools to individuals who have walked in their footsteps. But why should one be limited to just the stories of individuals from their own network? Sure, it may be a more familiar story or experience shared, which undoubtedly is powerful in forming relationships with individuals. But that individual likely had offers from similar schools and employers that the specific individual looking for guidance has had. So why only focus on these one or two mutual pieces of data? What about all the other data points, such as what did they spend their time doing after they completed their undergraduate degree or how did they decide to continue their studies and move right into a graduate degree without taking time off to reflect or work? Or better yet, what if you are not a student from a school that has invested in an alumni network or are mid-career and are looking for a very specific story to resonate with?

From my own personal experience, to say I could have benefited from a platform like this is an understatement! I felt very lost navigating my career early on in my career and quite frankly, there are times when those feelings come rushing back as I continue to think about how to navigate my career after being in the workforce for 11 years. At an early age, it would have helped to hear different career paths and not just thinking that if I studied Electrical Engineering that I would have to be a chip designer. Over the last several years, I have spoken to many undergraduate and MBA students and individuals that are 5-10 years into their careers who all share similar sentiments of feeling challenged and unguided in navigating their career path. They often tell me the best source of information is hearing from more experienced individuals that have been in their shoes. I often tell them that navigating your career is an art, not a science. If it was a science, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.