Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Jennifer Stredler

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Growing up with a younger brother who had special needs taught me very early on that people need and deserve advocates—that perspective has influenced all of my career decisions.
I grew up wanting to become a teacher—I loved school and would even play school for fun.
By the time I got to college, I still wanted to pursue a career that would focus on supporting others, but I didn’t think I specifically wanted to be a teacher anymore.
I went into college to study psychology, but transitioned into business because I wanted a more generalized and versatile set of skills.
While in college, I spent a lot of time volunteering in my community and then eventually planning events and rallying others to volunteer as well.
I eventually realized I could merge my interests in business and community through the field of corporate social responsibility.
I’ve spent my career working at the intersection of the public and private sectors—I’ve held roles with Capital One, the GE Foundation at the NYC Department of Education, and Eagles Youth Partnership.
I’m now the vice president of workforce development for Salesforce, where I work to help untapped talent gain the skills, networks, and resources to succeed in their careers.
Keep following my journey

Career

Vice President, Workforce Development

I oversee our global workforce development strategy to help young adults succeed in their careers.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for high school students

I always say, "We don't know what we don't know." So, take the initiative to explore what's out there. It's so easy now to use the internet to learn about different jobs, companies, and pathways without even leaving home! Be a sponge and build your awareness and knowledge of what's out there. There are also a lot of organizations that are there to support young people in gaining skills and building social capital. Take advantage of those organizations and leverage your opportunities.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Peers:

"Why are you doing this? You don't need a graduate degree for what you want to do."