E8: Wes Kao On How To Take Your Career To The Next Level....
May 22, 2022
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Wes Kao, Co-founder of Maven and former architect of the Alt-MBA with Seth Godin, shares her journey in education and marketing. She discusses overcoming Imposter Syndrome and highlights the power of rigorous thinking in career advancement. Wes emphasizes the importance of effective communication by minimizing backstory, shares insights on navigating early challenges, and explores how cohort-based learning fosters community and accountability. Tune in for her tips on finding your career superpower and actionable strategies for growth!
Actively managing relationships with supervisors fosters trust, leading to greater responsibilities and opportunities for career advancement.
Cohort-based courses enhance learning through community engagement, resulting in higher completion rates and improved student outcomes compared to traditional courses.
Deep dives
The Importance of Managing Up
Managing up is crucial for career advancement, as it demonstrates initiative and responsibility. By proactively managing relationships with supervisors, individuals can gain more trust and be entrusted with interesting projects. The podcast discusses the misconception that one should only perform well enough until promotion, highlighting that actively engaging with managers often leads to more opportunities. When employees take the lead in their professional relationships, they position themselves for success and growth in their careers.
Cohort-Based Learning with Maven
Cohort-based courses, as championed by Maven, enhance learning through structured timelines and community engagement. Unlike traditional online courses with low completion rates, cohort classes are designed for interactive learning, resulting in significantly higher completion rates. Participants learn in a collaborative environment, where active involvement and real-time feedback lead to improved student outcomes. This innovative approach aligns with how people naturally learn, bringing messaging and concepts to life through group interaction.
Building Skills Through Experience
Wes Cow shares her professional journey, emphasizing how early experiences shaped her understanding of marketing and personal growth. She recounts starting a nonprofit at a young age, realizing the importance of storytelling and credibility in garnering support. This experience sparked a passion for marketing, leading her to pursue a career centered around it. Cow suggests that finding success lies in recognizing one's strengths and leveraging them strategically, rather than solely chasing traditional markers of success.
The Role of Craftsmanship in Career Success
Craftsmanship—dedication to improving one's skill set—is vital for standing out in the professional world. Cow discusses the importance of rigor in decision-making and execution, highlighting how attention to detail significantly impacts results. She encourages a mindset of ownership, where individuals assume responsibility for their tasks and consider broader implications of their work. This proactive attitude not only enhances personal performance but also positions individuals for recognition and advancement within their organizations.
Wes Kao is the Co-founder of Maven, the first education platform to offer Cohort-based & Community-driven courses. Maven raised $20 million in Series A funding last year. Before that Wes built the Alt-MBA course with Seth Godin. She helped grow the business to thousands of students across 550 cities. She has over 130K followers on Twitter sharing her thoughts on marketing, online courses & mental frameworks.
In this episode we talk about:
- What inspired Wes to pursue a career in Marketing
- How to push through Imposter Syndrome early in your career
- How to get promoted & get more responsibility at work
- The value of Rigorous thinking & noticing details
- How to find & develop your career superpower
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