Jennifer Stredler
Salesforce
New York, NY USA
"People need and deserve advocates."
Career Roadmap
Jennifer's work combines: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I always say, "We don't know what we don't know." So, take the initiative to explore what's out there. It's so easy now to use the internet to learn about different jobs, companies, and pathways without even leaving home! Be a sponge and build your awareness and knowledge of what's out there. There are also a lot of organizations that are there to support young people in gaining skills and building social capital. Take advantage of those organizations and leverage your opportunities.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Organizational & Human Behavior
Washington University in St. Louis
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
Yale University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Growing up with a younger brother who had special needs taught me very early on that people need and deserve advocates—that perspective has influenced all of my career decisions.
2.
I grew up wanting to become a teacher—I loved school and would even play school for fun.
3.
By the time I got to college, I still wanted to pursue a career that would focus on supporting others, but I didn’t think I specifically wanted to be a teacher anymore.
4.
I went into college to study psychology, but transitioned into business because I wanted a more generalized and versatile set of skills.
5.
While in college, I spent a lot of time volunteering in my community and then eventually planning events and rallying others to volunteer as well.
6.
I eventually realized I could merge my interests in business and community through the field of corporate social responsibility.
7.
I’ve spent my career working at the intersection of the public and private sectors—I’ve held roles with Capital One, the GE Foundation at the NYC Department of Education, and Eagles Youth Partnership.
8.
I’m now the vice president of workforce development for Salesforce, where I work to help untapped talent gain the skills, networks, and resources to succeed in their careers.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Why are you doing this? You don't need a graduate degree for what you want to do.
How I responded:
There's a difference between going to business school because you want to do corporate social responsibility and going to business school because you want to work in something like investment banking. When I decided to go back to school for my MBA, there were some naysayers among the more traditional business people who questioned my decision. There are always going to be naysayers in your life depending on circumstance and it can be hard, but you have to make decisions that are right for you.