What’s your story? Have you ever been asked that question during an interview and not known where to even begin? Telling stories about your professional self can inspire others’ belief in your character and in your ability to successfully take on new opportunities or make career transitions. It also can help you believe in yourself. Having a career story gives meaning to your career history; it will assure you that, in moving on to something new, you are not discarding everything you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.
Unfortunately, research has shown that most of us fail to use the power of storytelling in pursuit of our professional goals, or we do it badly.
Our guest, Ripa Rashid, Managing Director and Head of Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) at Cowen, shares her career story and why it is important to weave together your professional narrative and be able to clearly articulate your journey with clarity.
Ripa is an internationally recognized subject matter expert and practitioner in the space of workplace diversity and inclusion, with a focus on gender, race and global talent engagement and development strategies. Prior to joining Cowen, Ms. Rashid was Managing Director at Culture@Work, Working Mother Media and Bonnier’s strategic advisory and custom research group. Previously, she was co-president at the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) in New York City, a premier think tank and content provider that studies global workplace inclusion and diversity. She has also served as a management consultant with Booz & Company, PwC and Mitchell Madison Group, and has held senior diversity and inclusion positions at MetLife and Time Warner.
In this episode, Ripa shares how her career has been guided by a desire for continuous growth and learning, why it is important to have allies and sponsors in your corner, and advice on how to stay ahead of the curve in the digital age.