Jenny Blake is on the Move

Age: 26 (but turning 27 on October 9 – YIKES!)
Occupation: Career Development Program Manager at Google, blogger at Life After College and soon-to-be-author 🙂

Did you go to college? Where? UCLA

What did you study? Political Science and Communications

Where do you work? Google

Where are you from? San Francisco / Bay Area

Why did you pick this career? I love technology and working with people. One of my first coaches helped me get clear that my professional mission is to “produce creative, innovative work while teaching, inspiring and motivating others.” Working in training, development and coaching at Google feels like a great intersection of all of those things.

What are your future plans for your career? I would like to continue creating programs that help Googlers (and blog readers) focus on the big picture of their lives. We are so much more than our jobs – if I can help people feel more inspired, confident and fulfilled in all areas of their lives, I will be happy. I am also working on a book to help recent college graduates (and beyond) navigate the real world. My ultimate dream is to be a self-employed “author/speaker/life coach/solopreneur extraordinaire” one day soon, so all of my side activities are in service of that.

How did you get involved in this career? I was working at a start-up company managing AdWords accounts, and after a while it became boring and routine. I decided I’d rather teach others how to manage their accounts – which is how I ended up on the Training Team at Google. I also knew that doing in-class training on a regular basis would give me great public speaking experience. It felt scary, but I knew that it would be great practice for getting comfortable speaking to a room of people, whether in meetings or other events. I have been at Google for almost five years, and I feel lucky to have found a career path that is so close to my true passions in life.

How did you prepare yourself for this career? I did a lot of introspective work – personality tests, assessments, reflection on the kind of work that makes me feel most “in the zone.” Each step helped me get clearer on where my true talents are, and how I wanted to be challenged in the future. From there, it became much easier to spot opportunities and go after them.

And if you just happened to land in this career what made you stay? Being able to directly impact others (through training and workshops) has been incredibly fulfilling. I love making people laugh when I’m at the front of the classroom, and it feels great to see them leave a training or coaching session with more knowledge, insight and inspiration than when they came in.

What are the downsides to this profession?Sometimes if you’re tired or having a bad day, it can be hard to be fully present for a coaching session or to be totally enthusiastic and “on” to deliver a training — but at the same time, those are the things that push me to perform and do my best even in less than perfect conditions, and I usually feel much more energized and happy afterward.

What is a typical workday for you? Right now my typical workday is a mix of meetings, project management, training facilitation and 1:1 coaching.

How might this job be a stepping stone to other professions? I think this job can be a great launching pad for consulting, teaching, coaching, instructional design, and anything else that involves working with people.

What is the single-most important piece of advice you can offer a person pursuing this career? Be passionate about learning. Become a student of topics that relate to the field/s you are interested in.

What steps do you recommend to someone who is planning to pursue this career? Think about great coaches, teachers, and speakers in your life. What made them stand out? What was memorable? Try to unpack some of those qualities and use them to set skill-building goals for yourself.

Where can we learn more about your book, Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want?

I describe the book as “Twitter meets What Color is Your Parachute for 20-somethings.” There is no need for a highlighter – this book is the highlights: a compilation of tips, quotes and exercises trimmed to the essence, divided into chapters for every major life area. Chapter categories include life (values, goals), work, money, organization, home, friends & family, dating & relationships, health, fun & relaxation, and personal growth. LIFE AFTER COLLEGE is an essential manual for every graduating college student and twenty-something looking for direction. It provides practical, actionable advice and helps you focus on the big picture of your life – on your values and aspirations – all in a rapid-fire format.

If you want the FULL nitty gritty details beyond what I share on my blog (including helpful writing-related links and resources) sign-up for my monthly(ish) “inside scoop” book newsletter or click here to read the archives.

What is your greatest accomplishments so far? The top three things you are so proud of?

I’m proudest of finishing a marathon (which I once thought was utterly impossible), getting a publisher for my book and being willing to share it with the world even though I was afraid of what people would think of it, and finally – doing something that helps me inspire and motivate other people. Every “keeper” email I receive just makes me feel so proud and grateful that I can make an impact on others in a positive way.