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Erica D'Eramo 0:04
Hello and welcome to the Two Piers podcast. I am your host, Erica D'Eramo, and today we have guest Katherine Cook joining us. Katherine is a career coach who helps engineers reimagine their possibilities and confidently step into roles that energize them. Katherine's known for her belief that it's never too late to re engineer your career. She's here to talk to us today about building influence for all stages in your career, especially for those engineer and technical types out there.
Erica D'Eramo 0:42
Katherine, so good to have you on the podcast. Thanks for joining us.
Katherine Cook 0:46
Thanks for having me.
Erica D'Eramo 0:48
Yeah, I, you know, I love to connect with another engineer type, and I love to connect with another coach, and you are like both in one. So this is just such a special treat for me.
Katherine Cook 1:00
It's nice to connect. Yeah, I love connecting with other engineers and other career types and living in the same even area New England.
Erica D'Eramo 1:07
Yeah, I know I get the question a lot when I work with folks, how did you go from engineering to coaching? That seems like such a huge jump, and I have to laugh every time, because, I mean, it doesn't seem like a huge jump to me. It makes total sense. But I'm curious. Let me, let me pose that question to you. What's your story? How did you get? How did you go from engineer to coach?
Katherine Cook 1:31
Well, I definitely get why people ask the question, because it is kind of a huge jump. It's so the way I did it was, I was an engineer, and it's a huge jump, but it makes sense for me, if you look at what is my driver, and I always want to know why. And as an engineer, I was working doing what I needed to do, but I didn't know why. I didn't know why I was making the product look like this. Or who cares? Or why is it important? So I decided I needed to get closer to the customer side to find out why. And then once I was there, that was actually my big leap, was from engineering into technical marketing. And then I was for a while where I was answering why to customers, and able to speak to the products. And that kind of progressed until eventually I was in product management, and that's when I realized, okay, now I'm no longer at a spot that quite matches my skill set to the role, and that's when I you're going to be shocked. I created a spreadsheet. Everything can be a spreadsheet, all of my skills, all of the different roles in the world, and eventually came down to somebody said, try coaching. And did my research, went to school, got the certification. Here I am.
Erica D'Eramo 3:02
I'm laughing out loud because folks who have been listening to the podcast for a while know that I talk about my spreadsheet that I used when I decided to leave and so many people at the time I was working in mergers and acquisitions, but I had been dabbling in coaching. I knew I was interested in it. It seemed like a support methodology that seemed really effective to me, and it's what I had been looking for when I didn't have that support in my career. So... But when I decided to leave corporate, so many people were like, This is so risky. How could you take this risk? And the irony is, my background was in risk management, and not just, you know, health and safety risk management, but enterprise risk management. So you better believe I had, like, a spreadsheet with my worst case, credible scenarios, and all of the different risk scenarios and my different impact categories, and they were like, you know, living an unfulfilled life was a type of impact that I didn't that was a high probability and a high impact severity. So I scored everything, and I looked at it, and I was like, does that feel right? Does that gut feel feel right? And it did. And I was like, okay, well, the clear, clear numerical answer is I need to go do this whole time.
Katherine Cook 4:19
Okay, yeah, that I like that too. I did have my spreadsheets. Everything can be a spreadsheet, and my spreadsheet also looked at one of, one of the biggest things I think that's helped my life, is the answer, why not? What's the worst that could happen? So a lot of things I've tried, it's been because what is, what's the worst that could happen? I was coaching before, and eventually decided I did not want to be HR and IT so what's the worst that could happen? I went back and took corporate for a while, and then eventually decided, You know what? This isn't what I want. I miss working for myself. Now I'm working for myself. Of what's the worst that can happen? I will. I will be fine. I will. If the whole world collapses, then I will be living at my parents house with plenty of food and shelter and love.
Erica D'Eramo 5:15
Yeah, I think talking being actually realistic about that worst case scenario, that worst case, credible that I talk about, can be really illuminating, because sometimes we just sense there's like a monster under the bed. You know, it's like a scary thing, and then when we actually shine a light on it and we say, okay, let's play this out. What's it really gonna look like, and what's the probability, and how many stop gaps do you have before you get there? And that's why it cracks me up when people are like, Oh, but coaching and engineering are so different. I'm like, are they?
Katherine Cook 5:45
Yeah, especially engineering management. Oh, and don't get me wrong, I have no desire to be something's very wrong if I'm living at my parents house, but it is just if the worst happens. And I think it's not as different as people may think, because engineers tend to be very caring. When we're in school, we're working in teams. We're helping each other out. It's it's a very competitive, merit based system, but people tend to help each other. So going into coaching is about helping each other, teaching each other, helping moving everyone along. So just like engineering,
Erica D'Eramo 6:29
Yeah, there are a lot of similarities, I think the problem solving orientation, the curiosity, the why. Like, those are all. Those are all very similar characteristics, but shifting from the practitioner view of like how we ended up here, I'm curious what dei what are some of the challenges that you see with your clients? Because I know we're talking about engineers here, but, but I think that this is really more broadly, a topic that a lot of folks probably find challenging, especially if they're coming from a technical background or something that's, you know, more of the more of that, like rational process, systems driven and and then we're like, okay, now, go do influence. Go do peopling. Okay, but your career is going to depend on it, so better do it well. So what are you what are you saying out there in the world?
Katherine Cook 7:26
The number one thing I that I'm trying, that I'm working with my clients with is networking. I know nobody wants to network. I say it and people start to get visceral reactions. I can see them kind of curl up, but it's necessary. The corporate America is not a meritocracy. We wanted to be a meritocracy. Engineer isn't schooling. It is in schooling. It's a meritocracy. So the one who has the higher grades gets the better research opportunities, gets more grants, all of those things, but in corporate America, yes, your skills and your experience play in but also, do people like you? Do they want to work with you? Do they do they want you on your team? And that's where networking comes in, because networking is about building relationships. I mean, I don't like the what we've done with the word networking, because it has kind of become a pejorative. But if you think about networking in just building relationships with people you want to talk to, then that feels easier, and it's absolutely what is meant by networking?
Erica D'Eramo 8:43
Yeah, I mean, to switch this out of a human networking realm. If we were to view systems, we almost always would find that a system that is networked is more resilient because you have different touch points, right? Like, you can't take the system down all at once because there's like, one single point of failure. It's networked, there's more agility and sustainability in that system. And so as you were talking about networking from you know, because when I hear networking, I think like, oh, I have to go to a happy hour, I have to talk to people about things I don't care about. I have to wear, like, uncomfortable shoes, and maybe this waistband is going to dig into my waist, and oh, just when can I be done with it? But when I hear about like, how do I connect with other humans to be more effective in the world, to lean on them, to get their insights, to offer my insights, to offer my support, then that's much more motivating for me.
Katherine Cook 9:38
And one of my clients recently decided to take up knitting, and so going to the knitting circle that she enjoys, that's networking.
Erica D'Eramo 9:48
Yeah!
Katherine Cook 9:48
She peopled. She's doing life, doing things, no matter what you're doing, if you're out enjoying your life, when you talk to people that is networking.
Erica D'Eramo 10:01
It's funny, we had a corporate recruiter on the podcast. She's been on twice. Actually, her name is Yael Iffergan, and she was bringing up this very point about people think networking has to be like a happy hour, but if you're talking to your you know stylist at the salon, that's part of your network, like the humans that are in our circles are part of our network. So all right, so then what once folks maybe understand that the concept is broader than just like, you know, stuffy happy hours or golf outings or whatever, which I never learned how to golf. My mother's still sad about this, but I refuse. I love a driving range. I can't I can't deal with walking around a bunch of grass all day, but to each their own. So once you broaden people's horizons around what networking is and the definition of that, what do you find is most effective for people in actually doing the thing, like doing the networking or doing the career advancement.
Katherine Cook 11:02
I think the next thing has been practicing talking to people that they don't know. So even when I'm going to a thing, I want to go to that music festival. Networking involves talking to somebody, the person next to you, who you do not know. So how to strike up conversations with strangers and feel comfortable, and no one wants to ask, What about the weather? And, you know, just stupid small talk. How was your day? I want a real conversation. Most engineers want a real conversation. And so how do you jump into that with a stranger? And I found that honestly, a lot of people want a real conversation. So having something that you genuinely want to ask. I'm in an at a music event. Hey, what do you think of this band? I don't know if I've seen that guitarist before. I'm in a knitting circle. What kind of thread I don't knit? What kind of yarn do you use? Anything that is relevant to where you are in the circumstances? It can be used as a networking question. I often like to I when I'm at a networking event, I will ask someone, yeah, with that way the economy is going, how is your business doing? We've skipped past all the small talk. I don't care if the economy is doing well, doing poorly, somehow it's affecting their business. And now we're in a real conversation,
Erica D'Eramo 12:38
Yeah, I think it's um, it's funny, because I sense a lot of the resistance around it, or the hesitation, I should say, around engaging in conversation is like, I don't know what to say. And, of course, as coaches, we're like, well, then just ask a question. Like, you don't have to have the answer. You can just ask a question. And people, people do typically want to talk about the things that they are interested in, and so we can ask questions like that. In all of those examples, it's something somebody is there, so clearly they're interested in that thing, I would assume. But even if you don't know if you're in a situation at a work event, you can just keep it really benign and generic of like, so what are you excited about right now? Or, like, what's, what's your special interest at the moment? Or what are you, what's feeling important to you at the moment? And and just doesn't even need to be topic oriented, it can, kind of, you can let them choose where they want to go with it.
Katherine Cook 13:42
I actually was hanging out with some friends, and I asked everyone, so what are you looking forward to? And one of them was struck by, okay, that's, that's, but that's a good question, okay, and then we started talking about what everyone's looking forward to.
Erica D'Eramo 13:55
I think, especially in this, in an environment where there's lots of stressful news, there's lots going on in the world. It can feel like even more daunting, because what if I pick a topic that's sad for somebody or stressful for somebody, and what if I, you know, say the wrong thing. So I love the orientation around like, what are you looking forward to? What are you like? What's and this is really maybe a little awkward, and just stay, like, in a happy hour, like, what are you proud of? But I do think just even orienting and saying, I love hearing what people are proud of. So what are you, what's something you're like, super proud of right now, I would love to hear about it
Katherine Cook 14:38
Well, and also you don't have to jump into something. I one exercise I have with my clients is baby steps. Go out in the world and talk to five people, five strangers, and these people, you will never see them again. So who cares if it goes badly? And just just practice come back with something that you've learned about each person and you and it always goes so much better than they think. One person ended up in a conversation with a person with a couple at a fast food place, and the two of them ended up being something where it seemed very fortuitous that they all met somebody else ended up in a conversation about 80s candy with the cashier at the Seven 11 loved the conversation. They will never see these people again, but it was just they found that once they just tried it with some strangers, where there were no stakes here. That was much easier than they thought.
Erica D'Eramo 15:44
Yeah, I mean, so I had a client, a new client today, who made a comment of, well, it's funny, because this is actually a theme that's coming up in a lot of my coaching conversations at the moment, about, you know, I hate BS-ing, I don't, you know, I don't want to have to do the like, small talk. I don't want to like, Why do I have to be friends with people that I work with? This is work. This is professional. And so we talked through some of the why behind it. We said building influence and effectiveness. But I the the client made a comment of like, well, I'm an introvert, you're clearly an extrovert. And I had to laugh, because, like, actually, I am a super big introvert. I find it pretty exhausting, because I care a lot, right? Like, because I I am focused and engaged. And it's not just like a flippant conversation. So it can be energetically, like, expensive for me to chat with people. But I think that what you're talking about, like just doing small bits here and there just helps to sort of lower the stakes a little, normalize it a little but it doesn't even have to be about introvert, extrovert, right? Like this. Can we can find ways to relate to humans regardless of where we fall on that spectrum?
Katherine Cook 17:01
Yeah, I actually a lot of people say, Oh, you must be an extrovert. No, no, I actually, if you look at some of my profiles, they will put me towards the extrovert, which really I questioned. But then when you look deeper, do people drain your energy if I go to a party. Yes, my energy is completely drained. Do not talk to me the next day. I don't want to hear from anyone. But one on one, I'm great one on one. I love one on one. I coach because it's one, you know, one on one, small groups and so, no, you don't have to be friends with everybody at work, but there's got to be someone that seems interesting when I do go to the massive networking events, my goal is to find two people and have a real conversation with two people. Once I have those two people, I can go home again, introvert, extrovert, find a way to make it work for you.
Erica D'Eramo 17:59
Yeah, and what's the prize for folks? I mean, definitely the network is helpful because, like we said, you, you never know who's going to be the next person that helps bring that idea to bear or connect you with that next job opportunity. But ultimately, like, if people, if people learn how to connect with other humans in the in the workplace or the professional realm, where do you see that bearing fruit for them?
Katherine Cook 18:23
Well, I mean several places. One there is, let's say, if someone's looking for a job, 75 to 80% of jobs right now are bound through networking, the application tracking system. The 75% of applications get rejected, so rejected before they even see someone. And then at work, when you're thinking about a team, let's say you as an individual are building a team. Are you adding the person you don't like, that person that's been surly themselves and you don't like them, you don't want to add them that new project that seems really cool that they're picking someone for, they're going to pick people that they like talking to, and feel like it will be collaborative. So that is, those are, those are great reasons that network, well, not networking, beginning networking, building relationships. Building relationships and you can work better with people, and that you can in and out of the company can work better.
Erica D'Eramo 19:28
I do want to say too, because I think especially for some of my clients who are facing like a double bind, or where they might maybe they won't be seen as likable, right? And like, I think that can be okay, as long as people know what to expect with you and they like your brain. You know the brand, I guess I'm using that term loosely, but I might be like oil and water with someone hopefully, though I might consider adding them to my team. Um, because of that right, that dissonance might be fruit, fruitful, as long as I understand, like, okay, they are a hard worker, they are honest or truthful, or they have, like, a good work ethic or a core value that aligns with our mission. So I think you know, you mentioned people opting, you know, bringing you into the circle. It's kind of like letting people know who you are and what to expect, even if, even if, like we don't, we're not going to hang out on Friday night and grab drinks. That's okay, right?
Katherine Cook 20:36
I mean, when I say, build relationship, not necessarily become the new bestie, but in that situation, right? Someone you you may not like them, but I'm like, you respect them so you know who they are, you respect who they are, and so you are bringing them on the team.
Erica D'Eramo 20:53
Yeah, yeah, I agree. And that's, that's where I think that people are probably less like, ironically, in some cases, people are less likely to take a chance on a completely unknown entity than sort of an entity that they know, even if, even if, we might not be kind of bubbly or friendly or whatever it's it's about like creating that track record, or the trust that what you see is what you get, or like, I know what to expect with this person,
Katherine Cook 21:25
The devil that you know, versus the devil that you don't know.
Erica D'Eramo 21:30
Yeah, I could see a lot of my like clients being like, I'm just never going to be like, I'm never going to be somebody who people want to be friends with or something like that. But it's really like, Are people clear, though, on what you can bring to the team, and have you built it doesn't need to be friendship. Have you built enough trust that when you make a mistake, people might give you the benefit of a second doubt when you need to ask a favor that they understand it, this will be reciprocal. It's not just, you know, transactional.
Katherine Cook 22:01
And does someone like you? Not everybody, but if you have someone who likes you, that person is probably advocating for you. Oh, yeah, I know they're Prickly, but they're really good at what they do. So I you know you may want to consider them for their team, because they're prickly, but they'd be a good addition because someone wants you.
Erica D'Eramo 22:23
Yeah, somebody's advocating for you. I agree. I think one of the things that you and I have laughed about in the past, which is the this commonality that I see around a lot of folks who are, like, very, very smart and very have a lot of expertise in their subject matter area, and they bump up against this element of like, but I'm right, but I'm I'm correct, and I'm like, Yep, good, yep, gold star. So, like, when you talked about school and the meritocracy, it made me laugh, because I'm like, yes, in school, right? Like, yeah, gold star. A plus. Now, what?
Katherine Cook 23:04
My grandpa had a great saying about that, God, I wish I remember when I was learning how to drive, and it was how basically that when you're driving, you can be completely in the right. That does not mean you won't die if somebody else is completely in the wrong.
Erica D'Eramo 23:23
Yes, I love that analogy. That's really that is so apt, right? Because, like, I'm not saying, you know, sometimes I say, like, well, if you have to choose between being right or being effective, like, what's the choice here, and it's not that I don't mean like manipulating. I don't mean being disingenuous or betraying your values or anything like that. I literally just mean, yes, great, you were right, correct. And now what like, what are you gonna do with that? Because if you die on that hill and you burn all your bridges, now what, like, we haven't being right is not enough, I think, is kind of the thing. It's the ability to communicate with people and bring them to your side so that they can see the vision. So, like, I differentiate a lot between, like, being right and being effective. And that seems like it's such a new concept. Sometimes it's like when we when we've just taken a lot of exams, or it's all very quantitative or binary, like, yes, no, right, wrong, correct answer, incorrect answer. The idea of like, you can be right. And also, this is not effective at all. It's like new to some people. Okay, so I admittedly work with quite a few clients that do work on the relationship building. I find this is especially the case with black women that I work with. I see it as well with black men that I've worked with expectations of behavior. Different people get punished in different ways or pay different penalties. And so I do see quite a few women. That are trying to be likable or trying to work on relationships, and maybe they're not having the outcomes or expectation outcomes that they would expect or that we would hope for. What are what's your advice there? Like, what have you seen that's worked for them?
Katherine Cook 25:14
So I completely understand where you're going, especially for black women, there's that angry black woman stereo stereotype.
Erica D'Eramo 25:21
Yep...
Katherine Cook 25:22
That and as a black woman at work, sometimes if you raise your voice just a little bit or just get a little upset, now suddenly you're fighting against that. But I'm not an angry black woman. I just happen to disagree with you so and even when you're doing your best to build the relationships again corporate America, it's not fair, it's not a meritocracy. So sometimes that's not working, in which case I say, build different networks, because if the one you're building isn't working for you, there's another one somewhere. What's where some of the advocacy groups have come in and have helped me with different tools that I could use. Talked to people outside my organization about what are they doing, and then that giving me some tools for how I can advance myself, how I can present myself in a way that gets me on those teams. Sometimes it's a matter of finding the person, finding a really influential person, and building a relationship with them, as long as it would be genuine, but building a genuine relationship with someone who has influence, a mentor or someone like that. If the relationship is not genuine, it will come across and it will hurt you.
Erica D'Eramo 26:51
Yeah, I do agree with that. When it's like transactional, or I call it extractive, almost like, really, even relationships where one person maybe has a lot more wisdom or a lot more experience, or even a power differential. It can still be a reciprocal relationship. You know? It can still there can still be benefit on both sides. And I think that that's that investment. Not just like, What am I getting from this, but how do I invest into the relationship?
Katherine Cook 27:15
Absolutely!
Erica D'Eramo 27:17
Yeah, I I have to, I find in coaching, I do have to do some self management as a human because I get so frustrated. And I do, you know, I talk a lot about like, you can be right, or you can be effective, but ultimately, like, if there's not a pathway to success, like, if you're trying to convince stakeholders of something that they are unwilling to believe, ie, that you are a a like, talented person deserving of opportunity and development. Then you have to make your decisions based on the landscape available and what opportunities you have available and like, maybe take that investment and put it somewhere else. I say that it's not always available to everyone, especially when the economy is rough, but that's why I think your message around network is so powerful, because this is not this survival in this world. Is not an individual sport, yeah.
Katherine Cook 28:18
And honestly, sometimes when it gets like that, I say, look at yourself and look at your goals. What skills do you need, and how can you get them out of this organization and do your best to get that knowledge that you need and you may and then make your own decisions. So maybe it's in, maybe it's out, but that is a great way to keep yourself moving forward in your career.
Erica D'Eramo 28:47
I agree. Yeah, I agree. All right, so I'm interested in the I talk about the mind wipe as people are listening, and then they turn off the podcast. What's the one thing that they should retain from our conversation today, what's the one key insight that you want folks to walk away with?
Katherine Cook 29:05
Corporate America is not a meritocracy. It's about having skills, having experience and having people like you. So building relationships is critical. Building genuine relationships is critical to getting wherever it is you want to go on the team, in, in the promotion, wherever.
Erica D'Eramo 29:26
Yeah, words of wisdom for people to take away with them. And if folks want to connect with you, if they if they are wanting to re-engineer their career, how should they connect with you? Where can they find you?
Katherine Cook 29:39
Well, my website is easy, Katheringcookcoaching.com, and also I'm on LinkedIn as K Cook coaching, where I put up lots of videos and tips and tricks on networking, a lot of other topics for for the techno for engineers that are trying to get more out of their profession.
Erica D'Eramo 30:00
Awesome. I love that we'll link to that in our show notes. Folks can find a summary of this episode on our website as always, and links to connect with Katherine. And I really appreciate you taking the time to come and connect as a fellow former engineer turned coach who is probably still doing some engineering in a in a different capacity these days.
Katherine Cook 30:22
Oh, we're always an engineering party, always. Erica, it's been a pleasure.
Erica D'Eramo 30:29
Thanks. Thanks, and we'll see our listeners next episode.
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Building Influence at Every Career Stage: A Conversation with Career Coach Katherine Cook
Season 6 of the Two Piers Podcast brings a grounded and pragmatic conversation between host Erica D’Eramo and Katherine Cook, a career coach who specializes in helping engineers chart meaningful, sustainable career paths. Katherine’s own journey—from engineering to technical marketing, product management, and ultimately coaching—sets the stage for a discussion packed with practical advice, candid reflections, and actionable insights for professionals at every level.
Rethinking Career Paths: From Engineer to Coach
Katherine didn’t set out to be a coach. Like many engineers, she followed a traditional technical trajectory—until the work stopped aligning with her strengths and interests. Her pivot began with a familiar tool: a spreadsheet.
By mapping out her skills, values, and the realities of potential roles, she discovered a pattern pointing her toward coaching. It was a methodical, data-driven way to choose a path that felt both exciting and viable.
Erica shared a similar experience from her own transition out of mergers and acquisitions. A spreadsheet helped her evaluate risks and opportunities before betting on herself and stepping into coaching. Despite different backgrounds, both found that engineering thinking—problem-solving, curiosity, structured decision-making—translates beautifully into coaching work.
The Power of Asking “Why” (And Getting Honest About Risk)
A recurring theme in Katherine’s career evolution is the importance of understanding why you want to make a change.
For her, asking “why” clarified priorities. Pairing that reflection with a spreadsheet allowed her to take a cold-eyed look at worst-case scenarios—financially, personally, and professionally. That realism made taking the leap far less scary.
Both Erica and Katherine noted that engineers are often conditioned to avoid risk, but career growth requires understanding which risks are tolerable and which are imagined. When you strip decisions down to facts, the next step becomes a lot clearer.
Why Networking Feels Hard (Especially for Engineers)
When engineers think about career advancement, “networking” often ranks somewhere between uncomfortable and pointless. Katherine has seen this repeatedly in her coaching practice.
To her, the problem is definition. Many engineers picture forced small talk at happy hours—something that feels artificial at best and unbearable at worst. But networking, she argues, is simply the act of building genuine relationships.
Erica echoed this: moving from technical work to people-facing leadership roles requires a shift in mindset. Career growth isn’t just about skill—it’s about connection.
Practical Ways to Build Relationships (Without Feeling Fake)
Katherine offered a refreshingly simple framework for networking:
Start small.
Say hello to someone in an elevator. Ask a real question at an event. Engage in low-stakes interactions to build comfort and confidence.
Follow your interests.
Networking isn’t exclusive to professional events. Join a knitting circle. Show up at a meetup that aligns with your hobbies. Shared interests make real conversation easier.
Use small talk as a bridge.
Not the endpoint. Just the doorway. By practicing small talk, engineers can build comfort with human connection and open space for more meaningful conversation.
Ask curious, genuine questions.
Engineers excel at problem-solving; that same curiosity makes for excellent relationship-building.
The Role of Relationships in Career Success
At the end of the day, relationships matter. More than most people want to admit.
Katherine cites the data: 75–80% of jobs are secured through networking, not applications alone. Inside organizations, relationships influence collaboration, visibility, and access to opportunity.
She also called out the intersectional realities many professionals navigate—particularly Black women in corporate environments, who often face stereotypes and structural barriers. For them, building diverse, supportive networks is not optional; it’s strategic.
Her advice:
Build multiple networks. Seek mentorship. Connect with influential advocates. You don’t have to navigate your career alone.
Navigating Career Challenges with Resilience
Both Erica and Katherine reflected on the importance of persistence in environments that may not always be supportive.
Katherine encourages clients to stay grounded in their skills and long-term goals. If the current environment is misaligned, keep building relationships and gathering experiences that position you for the next opportunity.
Erica added that communication—clear, effective, timely—is often the lever that determines whether someone is seen as influential and ready for more responsibility.
Resilience isn’t just internal fortitude. It’s also the network you build around yourself.
A Final Thought: Corporate America Isn’t a Meritocracy
When asked what she wants listeners to walk away with, Katherine didn’t hesitate:
Corporate America is not a meritocracy. Relationships matter.
Skill and performance are essential, but they’re not enough on their own. Understanding the landscape, building genuine relationships, and managing yourself effectively are all part of the career-advancement equation.
She closes with an invitation for listeners to connect with her on her website or via LinkedIn, where she shares resources and coaching support for engineers navigating career transitions.