Alesia Hendley

I built a personal brand because I was struggling getting a job in this industry, even though I had the experience, I did not have the degree to match it. So I figured if I build a brand, they see me at the trade shows, they see me at the local events, you see me at the global events, you see me everywhere, you cannot deny me. I wanted to create this personal brand so when I walked into an interview, at least the hiring manager would have some idea of who I was, and that's how I've been able to grow my career - it's through my personal brand. I also leveraged my technical background and paired it with the personal brand, and it was like, you can't deny me - I've got the social skills, I've got the technical skills. I obtained as many technical certifications as I could get, and that combination has been key to my success.

Be relentless and obtain certifications. If you do not have a degree in anything technical, then obtain as many technical certifications that you can get. That's what I did. I leveraged my technical background, and then I paired it with the personal brand, and it was like, you can't deny me - I've got the social skills, I've got the technical skills. Build your personal brand so they see you at the trade shows, they see you at the local events, you see you at the global events, you see you everywhere. When you walk into an interview, at least the hiring manager will have some idea of who you are.

The biggest challenge is how do you find or create upward mobility within companies that are flat. In this industry, it's very flat. I am at a point in my career - I've been in this industry for closer to 15 years now - and I'm still struggling to get even into middle management, because my boss is not gonna retire anytime soon. Usually within a company, they are at least in their late 40s, maybe to mid-50s, and they're not retiring. So there's room for growth, but the challenge is finding that upward mobility when the organizational structure is so flat.

I'm very family-oriented. I recently moved back to Houston last May so I could be closer to my family, because they all live here. My sister had children, so I got a niece and a nephew, and I was like, man, I can't miss their early ages, I gotta get back home. I was too far when I was in Florida for almost 6 years. They gotta know me at those young ages, so I moved back home to be close to my family. I like to spend a lot of time with my family. I'm also not afraid to pivot - my career has been a bunch of pivots. I'm always reaching outside of my little AV box and going out into the world and seeing what other opportunities are out there, seeing how I can better navigate. I do a lot of work for the community, speaking on diversity panels about how we can find younger talent and spread the word more about our industry to different industries instead of just middle-aged white men.