‘Taking Initiative’ is not a Buzz Phrase (+ get inside scoop with a PM from Microsoft tonight!!)
Actions speak louder than words - see how Fawkes is taking matters into their own hands to get that dream PM role
Take initiative.
It’s something we often hear about ways to succeed in our jobs. Don’t wait for others to say what needs to be done; uncover those gaps yourself and take action.
The same mantra is applied to career development and Fawkes shares a great story to exemplify just what it is to be proactive in their professional growth. When they expressed their interest in product management at one of their past jobs, they were explained to a strict 5-year process that must be followed in the company.
A bit too long in their eyes - and so, Fawkes took matters into their own hands.
Prior to coming onboard as a product manager in Co.Lab’s COLAB4 cohort, Fawkes S. was a program manager in Edge Product Development at Microsoft and before then, they worked in operations at two tech startups.
But as with many of our Co.Laborators, they didn’t come into tech with a traditional background. Recently, I sat with them to learn about their career journey and took in what they are doing to break into a product management role.
Fawkes’ story is not the only one we’re sharing with the community this week. Co.Lab’s chatting with Ayo, a product manager at Microsoft, tonight at 7PM EST to hear how he moved from industrial engineering to product management. Sign ups are still open: https://lu.ma/youbelongintech