Amanda Mae Fischer
My work is focused on helping manager level through VP professionals who often find themselves hating their job but unsure of what they want next. I help them get clarity on the right target role, what really lights them up in their career, and what's important in their life so they can make choices aligned with their priorities. For clients seeking new roles, I coach them through every step of the process - getting their resume and LinkedIn in order, strategic networking, interview coaching, online applications, and salary negotiation. I also do what people jokingly refer to as career therapy, helping people talk through what's going on at work and how to shift things in a way that makes the environment healthier for everyone. Most of my career coaching is done specifically with women, typically through clients I've helped land new roles who want continued support throughout the process. I take a very bespoke, one-on-one approach, helping female leaders navigate the unique challenges that pop up as they navigate their careers - whether that's managing up, managing down, or other workplace dynamics. I'm genuinely passionate about this work because I love being able to support people through figuring out their next chapter in a research-backed way that's very individualized to what's truly most important to them.
• Global Women in Leadership Alliance
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being genuinely passionate about my work. Many years ago, I was so unhappy in my career, and a friend reflected to me that I should really consider doing one-on-one work. I initially resisted, thinking there's no money in that, but she pointed out that I would make massive organizational changes and never talk about it, but would talk for 20 minutes about one student I helped find a scholarship to study abroad in Brazil. She said I was so motivated by individuals that I should lean into that. It was such a great observation and allowed me to see the limitations I'd put on myself. When I was in my 20s, I did an around-the-world trip for a year and a half, and everyone told me I shouldn't do it. I ended up living in a convent with nuns in India for many months teaching school, hitchhiking around the South Island of New Zealand, and having all these incredible adventures. What I realized is you really can carve your own path. I learned at a young age that you do not need to listen to the limitations that everyone else puts on women in particular. You surround yourself with good people, you surround yourself with knowledge, and you move forward on the pathway that really resonates most for you, and it's going to work out.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think the best advice to women who are just getting started out in their career is that this is probably not what you're going to do forever. Recognizing that, just pay attention to the opportunities that come up in your career. Build your network and build and nurture your network along the way, and keep an eye out for what is resonating for you in your career and what is not. The more you can kind of lean towards what is resonating, I think the happier that you will end up being in your career path overall. As it unfolds, as it twists, as it turns, just really paying attention to what's really most important to you at this point in time, and how is my career aligning to that, I think is a really great way of setting yourself up for current and future success.