86. From Misconceptions to Career Opportunities in Enterprise Software

What does it take to survive and thrive in a complex environment like a large enterprise org?

Enterprise roles often get a bad rap. This week, Sally Carson and I are out to change that. Sally joins me to discuss the nuances of building a career in large enterprise organizations.

Sally encourages us to zoom out and take a meta-view of our careers, especially if we’ve been in one industry for a long period of time. If you’ve been working on smaller teams or in the startup world, enterprise experience might make you a more well-rounded designer.

Sally offers up some insights on who might benefit most from a career in enterprise, and why having a strategic, big-picture approach might set you up for success.

Whether you’re considering a move to an enterprise role or looking to advance within your current organization, Sally provides an actionable, easy-to-follow guide to surviving and thriving in the corporate world.

Topics:
• 11:10 – Enterprise vs B2B
• 16:16 – Who might benefit from a career in enterprise?
• 16:51 – Zoom out and take a meta-view of your career
• 25:48 – Keep looking out for internal opportunities and rotations
• 28:11 – The politics of a big org
• 32:14 – Every job has pros and cons
• 34:31 – How to deal with corporate fiefdoms
• 36:08 – Working with a larger team means more future opportunities
• 40:45 – Internal roles allow you to stay with the company without quitting
• 41:01 – Advice for people looking to get into enterprise
• 46:39 – Questions to ask before taking a role
• 51:11 – Portfolio Considerations

Helpful Links:
• Connect with Sally on LinkedIn
• sallycarson.com

Sally Carson
Design Leader & Career Coach

About Sally

For product designers seeking an edge, Sally Carson offers a wealth of experience from the frontlines. With a 25 year career — spanning companies like LinkedIn, Cisco, and Yahoo, to her own VC-backed startup — she has led design teams through every size and stage. Now, Sally is paying it forward, coaching designers with the invaluable wisdom that she wishes she had early in her career. Sally wants to help you find the “happy path” for your career.

Connect with Sally on LinkedIn

—

Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today’s episode, why don’t you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.

If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear.

• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show
• Support the show on Patreon
• Check out show transcripts
• Check out our website
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on Spotify
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Subscribe on Stitcher