We had some of our featured speakers from this year’s upcoming LEAD Summit answer the most asked questions in a panel discussion. Today, you get to hear from MAYA Consulting Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations Alex Cantu!

 

Alex spends his time outside of his job working in the non-profit sector, focusing on building up the community around him through advocating and philanthropy. 

 

What changes have you seen in the job market since you graduated?

 

“The relationship between an organization and the employee is shifting to a partnership rather than a transactional relationship. Organizations must find ways to attract the best talent beyond offering the highest base salary. Employees are looking to partner with organizations they can trust and who will create space for their input.”

 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

 

“Create your own opportunities. You must put yourself in the driver’s seat of your career and that often means self-advocating for opportunities. If you wait on someone else for that stretch assignment, path to promotion, or opportunities to grow, you might be waiting a long time. Think of ways to innovate, develop a plan, and pitch it to decision makers. This is how you create opportunities for your career.”

 

Alex will be speaking about [??] on the [??] panel at LEAD Summit on Friday, May 5. 

 

The LEAD Summit (Learn | Explore | Act | Develop) is the Austin Young Chamber’s annual leadership development conference for students, young professionals and business leaders. Tickets are available starting at $145 through April 30. (Want your boss to pay for your ticket? Here are some pointers on how to ask.)

 

Follow Alex on LinkedIn and Instagram