Karen H.
About me
| Karen H. | |
| Psychology | |
| BSc Psychology | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Alcuin | |
| 1998 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Product Manager | |
| eGain | |
| United States | |
| Digital and IT services | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2020 |
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A day in the life of a Product Manager in the United States
I've had two very different careers and could mentor in either. I founded a food retail business in the UK that I ran for 12 years before returning to IT.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
In my last role, I worked on a joint venture between a cloud-based software company and a non-profit financial wellness organisation to create an AI-driven Virtual Financial Coach.
What do you do?
I was part of a small team that transformed a demo into a working, saleable product. It took us 6 months and 3 months later had been sold to 24 clients with a user base of 3 million. We were essentially a start-up within a larger organisation. My role included product management, product design, UI design, quality assurance, compliance, documentation, process development, testing, data analysis, marketing, sales support, and project management.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
My career was not a conscious choice. After York, I completed an MSc in Loughborough and intended to work for a year to refill my cash reserves before returning to University to complete a PhD. I envisioned a career in research. I took a job in IT and made some great friends. Due to a personal tragedy the professor who would have mentored my PhD needed to postpone my return. I continued in a job I had grown to enjoy. I was then headhunted for, and accepted, a senior position in a startup. Sadly my professor passed away and by then I had no links with the University and no way to get back into research. I enjoyed the work I was doing in the start-up, the pay was good and I had equity. I stayed until the company was sold. I then used my equity to start my own company that I ran for 12 years before selling it for a lifestyle change. I moved to California. Living in Silicon Valley, the only viable option for me was to get back into IT.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Yes. This was never the plan!
Describe your most memorable day at work
I'm motivated by completing things, so product launches are always fun. I enjoy being part of a team and working against the odds to deliver something on time, usually pulling it back from the brink of disaster.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
The hours can be long (although the US culture has people out of the office far earlier than the UK). There is no job security (after 2 years of employment the UK is better in this regard than the US, but redundancies are still common). It can be hard to feel that what you are doing is useful. That is really what triggered my move from IT to retail, and when I returned to IT I sought out a "useful" project.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
I started my last job during a pandemic. I have never met any of my colleagues. I visited the office once, to collect a laptop and couldn't even tell you where the bathrooms were. I have no idea what 50% of my colleagues look like and am unlikely to recognise most of them if I saw them in the street (unless they were wearing exactly the same clothes as in their profile pic!). Yet friendships can still be formed and we do all get along well. I feel I have stronger relationships with clients in this job than in previous IT positions thanks to the pandemic. For client calls, we have our cameras on, so I have gotten to know people far better from seeing them in their home environment.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
After York, I completed an MSc at another University. There I participated in more extracurricular activities than were available in York. I was a volunteer befriender for the National Autism Society and a member of the University Hot Air Balloon club. I chose to do things totally unrelated to my course but which gave me something other than studies to be passionate about.
I also worked throughout. As well as working in shops and bars I took less typical positions working in office admin and adult education. These office-based jobs opened my eyes to what the world of work would look like and provided transferable skills such as presentation, time management, relationship building, professionalism etc.
Having passions and work experience seemed to give me a step up and help me stand out in interviews.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Network - Starting a career seems more about who you know than what you know.
Save - Build up an emergency fund and don't overstretch yourself. Try to live on your student budget for as long as you can post-graduation.
Check your transcript - As a student, I never considered teachers could make mistakes, and certainly not Universities. It wasn't until years later, while nosing through my old folders, that I realised basic arithmetic errors had been made transferring my coursework grades and I actually ended my first year with a 1st, not a 2.1. Had I checked this at the time things could have been very different. It never crossed my mind to check someone's adding up.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
I've had two very different careers and could mentor in either. I founded a food retail business in the UK that I ran for 12 years before returning to IT.
I have been involved in two successful acquisitions, one of a business I started from scratch.
I now work in tech in silicon valley, California.
I am also happy to talk about being a Brit in the US.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
I've had two careers so far and also have a second degree from another university. It's hard to fit both into this form so I have focussed on my most recent job and the degree I completed in York.
Next steps...
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