Exploring the Value of Non-Academic Skills, Particularly Sales Skills, in Career Development

In today’s episode I speak with Tricia Nelson, Partner at EY and head of their 300 person strong People Consulting Business. This is an interview that’s been almost two years in the making and I’m pleased to say, it was certainly worth the wait. When you hear about a senior leader like Trish, in one of the world’s biggest consulting businesses, it’s easy to think they’ve followed the traditional consulting career path. Went to a good university, got on the right grad scheme and made the right moves to climb the ladder from there. But as you’ll hear in today’s interview, Trish’s story has been anything but. In today’s episode we dig into Trish’s story and discuss the hugely important topic of diversity. An area that Trish is extremely passionate about having seen first-hand many of the challenges that underrepresented groups face in climbing the career ladder in our industry. In this episode, we go deep into the topic of diversity and inclusion and cover some really important and impactful areas, many of which I’ve not covered with any guest before, including: - The challenges for young people right now and Trish’s own experiences of building a career having left school at 18 and not going to university at a time when this wasn’t the done thing. - The challenges that our industry faces when it comes to diversity and what consulting leaders like you can and should be doing to help increase awareness and accessibility of consulting as a career and supporting those from underrepresented groups to thrive within the industry. - And the unseen diversity impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the hidden challenges that the new ‘remote working world’ creates that consulting firms need to think about. In an industry that is still largely dominated by white men, Trish is both a fantastic role model and a true champion for those underrepresented in our industry. Whether you’re a woman who’s looking for advice and guidance on how to climb within the industry or you’re one of the privileged many – white men like myself – that want to know what you can do to help those in your team to thrive, you’re going to love this episode. You can get in touch with Tricia at - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-nelson-826a8212/ And visit EY at - https://www.ey.com/en_gl Specific things we discuss in the show: Beyond the Boys’ Club: Achieving Career Success as a Woman Working in a Male Dominated Field - https://amzn.to/2Sb4S73 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead - https://amzn.to/2EIF7rF How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life - https://amzn.to/30fu94i The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity - https://amzn.to/2EIdb77 What Color Is Your Parachute? 2020: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers - https://amzn.to/3jdtMyx Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men - https://amzn.to/33gMHDf