Talent Portal - Guest: Sandra Koutzenko

Summary
In this conversation, Sandra Koutzenko, the head of the Microsoft Learning Partner Practice at 365 Talent Portal, shares her journey in the tech industry and discusses effective hiring and upskilling strategies in the Microsoft space. She emphasizes the importance of staying ahead of the rapidly changing technology landscape and highlights the need for ongoing training and agility. Sandra also talks about the role of soft skills in the tech industry and the challenges of user training and adoption. Additionally, she shares her experiences as a mentor and provides advice for building successful internal mentoring programs. The conversation covers the importance of mentoring programs in companies and how to implement them successfully. Sandra emphasizes that mentors should focus on supporting career development and setting goals for mentees. She also highlights the need for companies to define the desired outcomes of their mentoring programs and train their mentors. The conversation then shifts to the challenges and triumphs of being a non-techie woman in the tech industry. Sandra shares her personal experience of dealing with health challenges and the lessons she learned from it, including the importance of asking for help and staying focused.

Takeaways

• Stay ahead of the rapidly changing technology landscape by continuously updating hiring and upskilling strategies.
• Focus on developing essential soft skills alongside technical skills.
• Consider the need for ongoing training and agility in the tech industry.
• Address the challenges of user training and adoption in the face of evolving technology.
• Build successful internal mentoring programs by understanding the true role of a mentor and fostering meaningful relationships. Mentoring programs should focus on supporting career development and setting goals for mentees.
• Companies should define the desired outcomes of their mentoring programs and measure their success.
• Mentors should be trained to effectively support junior employees.
• Non-techie women in the tech industry may face challenges related to age and gender, but the industry is making efforts towards diversity and inclusion.
• Dealing with health challenges can lead to personal transformation and the adoption of new strategies, such as asking for help and staying focused.

Special Thanks to
Sandra Koutzenko for joining us for this episode! You can find their socials at:

LinkedIn Sandra Koutzenko | LinkedIn
The 365 Pod (Podcast)

Thanks to:
KenLikeFit for providing music for this episode - [Find out more about him and listen to his music here](https://linktr.ee/kenlikefit)

Currently sponsored by Sean Astrakhan

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