Young women are entering the workforce full of potential–they graduate with degrees and confidence–but they don’t always have the interpersonal skills they need to succeed and advance. They may not know how to speak up in meetings, collaborate with people in charge, or ask for what they need. And that’s not just their problem; it’s ours too. If professors, mentors, managers, and parents don’t support young women, we risk losing talented future leaders before they even get started.

In this live conversation from SXSW EDU in Austin, Amy Gallo talks with Neda Norouzi, an architecture professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Aimee Laun, director of the Career Connections Center at Texas Woman’s University. They discuss the gap between what colleges teach and what workplaces expect, and the role educators, managers, and mentors can play in bridging it.

Resources:

“Sponsorship: Defining the Relationship,” from Women at Work
“A Better Approach to Mentorship,” by Christopher “CJ” Gross
“Men Can Improve How They Mentor Women. Here’s How.” by David G. Smith and W. Brad Johnson
“Investing in the Development of Young, Remote Employees,” by Octavia Goredema
“The Key to Retaining Young Workers? Better Onboarding.” by Donald Tomaskovic-Devey and Reyna Orellana
“Academics Can Only Take Students So Far,” from Inspiring Minds

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org